THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


A  LIST  OF  THE  ELSIE  BOOKS  AND 
OTHER  POPULAR  BOOKS 

BY 

MARTHA   FINLEY 


AT  ROSELAVDS. 
ELSIE'S  GIRLHOOD. 

ELSIE'S  WOMANHOOD. 
ELSIE'S  MOTHERHOOD. 

ELSIE'S  CHILDREN. 
ELSIE'S  WIDOWHOOD. 
GRANDMOTHER  ELSIE. 

ELSIE'S  NEW  RELATIONS. 
ELSIE  AT  NANTUCKET. 
THE  TWO  ELSIES. 

ELSIE'S  KITH  AND  KIN. 
ELSIE'S  FRIENDS  AT  WOODBURN. 
CHRISTMAS  WITH  GRANDMA  ELSIE. 
ELSIE  AND  THE  RAYMONDS. 
ELSIE  YACHTING  WITH  THE  RAYMONDS. 
ELSIE'S  VACATION. 

ELSIE  AT  VIAMEDE. 
ELSIE  AT  ION. 

ELSIE  AT  THE  WORLD'S  FAIR. 
ELSIE'S  JOURNEY  ON  INLAND  WATERS. 
ELSIE  AT  HOME. 
ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 
ELSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 
ELSIE'S  YOUNG  FOLKS. 
ELSIE'S  WINTER  TRIP. 
ELSIE  AND  HER  LOVED  ONES. 


MILDRED  KEITH. 

MILDRED  AT  ROSELANDS. 
MILDRED'S  MARRIED  LIFE. 
MILDRED  AND  ELSIE. 
MILDRED  AT  HOME. 

MILDRED'S  BOYS  AND  GIRLS. 
MILDRED'S  NEW  DAUGHTER. 


CASELLA. 

SIGNING  THE  CONTRACT  AND  WHAT  IT  COST. 
THE  TRAGEDY  OF  WILD  RIVER  VALLEY- 
OUR  FRED. 

AN  OLD-FASHIONED  BOY. 
WANTED,  A  PEDIGREE. 

THE  THORN  IN  THE  NEST. 


ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 
ON  INLAND  WATERS 


BY 

MARTHA  F1NLEY 


NEW  YORK 
DODD,  MEAD  AND  COMPANY 

PUBIISHIKS 


OOFTBH»HT,188B, 

BT 

•ODD,  MEAD  AND  COMPANY. 

AM  rights  rttened. 


ELSIE'S  JOURNEY  ON  INLAND 
WATERS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

AFTER  her  return  from  the  trip  across  the 
lake  with  the  bridal  party,  the  Dolphin  lay  at 
anchor  near  the  White  City  for  a  week  or 
more;  there  were  so  many  interesting  and 
beautiful  exhibits  at  the  Fair  still  unseen  by 
them  that  Captain  Raymond,  his  family,  and 
guests  scarce  knew  how  to  tear  themselves 
away. 

At  the  breakfast  table  on  the  morning  after 
their  arrival,  they,  as  usual,  considered  to 
gether  the  question  where  the  day  should  be 
spent.  It  was  soon  evident  that  they  were  not 
all  of  one  mind,  some  preferring  a  visit  to 
one  building,  some  to  another. 

"  I  should  like  nothing  better  than  to  spend 
some  hours  in  the  Art  Palace,  examining  paint 
ings  and  statuary,"  said  Violet,  "  and  I  have  an 
idea  that  mamma  would  enjoy  doing  the  same," 


5591 955 


2  XLSIE'S  JOURNEY 

looking  enquiringly  at  her  mother  as  she 
•finished  her  sentence. 

"In  which  you  are  quite  right,"  responded 
Grandma  Elsie.  "There  is  nothing  I  enjoy 
more  than  pictures  and  statuary  such  as  may  be 
found  there." 

"  And  I  am  sure  your  father  and  I  can  echo 
that  sentiment,"  remarked  Mrs.  Dinsmore,  with 
a  smiling  glance  at  her  husband. 

"Very  true,  my  dear,"  he  said. 

"Then  that  is  where  we  shall  go,"  said  the 
captain. 

"That  includes  your  four  children,  I  sup 
pose,  papa?"  remarked  Lucilla,  half  enquir 
ingly,  half  in  assertion. 

"Unless  one  or  more  of  them  should  prefer 
to  remain  at  home — here  on  the  yacht,"  he 
replied.  "How  about  that,  Neddie,  my  boy?" 

"Oh,  papa,  I  don't  want  to  stay  here! 
Please  let  me  go  with  you  and  mamma," 
exclaimed  the  little  fellow,  with  a  look  of 
mingled  alarm  and  entreaty. 

"You  certainly  shall,  if  you  want  to,  my 
son,"  returned  his  father.  "  I  am  happy  to  say 
that  my  little  boy  has  been  very  good  and 
given  no  unnecessary  trouble  in  visiting  the 
Fair  thus  far.  And  I  can  say  the  same  of  my 
little  Elsie  and  her  older  sisters  also,"  he  added, 
with  an  affectionate  look  from  one  to  another. 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  3 

"Thank  you,  papa,"  said  Lucilla  and  Grace, 
the  latter  adding,  "I  think  it  would  be  strange 
indeed  should  we  ever  intentionally  and  will 
ingly  give  trouble  to  such  a  father  as  ours." 

"I  don't  intend  ever  to  do  that,"  said  little 
Elsie  earnestly,  and  with  a  loving  upward  look 
into  her  father's  face. 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  it,  dear  child,"  he  returned, 
with  an  appreciative  smile. 

"I,  too,"  said  her  mother.  "Well,  we  will 
make  quite  a  party,  even  if  all  the  rest  choose 
to  go  elsewhere." 

The  Art  Palace  was  a  very  beautiful  build 
ing  of  brick  and  steel ;  its  style  of  architecture 
Ionic  of  the  most  classic  and  refined  type. 
It  was  very  large:  320  feet  wide  by  500  feet 
in  length,  with  an  eastern  and  western  annex,  a 
grand  nave  and  transept  160  feet  wide  and  70 
feet  high  intersecting  it,  and  that  surmounted 
by  a  dome  very  high  and  wide,  and  having 
upon  its  apex  a  winged  figure  of  Victory. 

From  this  dome  the  central  section  was 
flooded  with  light,  and  here  was  a  grand  collec 
tion  of  sculpture  and  paintings,  in  which 
every  civilized  nation  was  represented,  the 
number  of  pieces  shown  being  nearly  twenty- 
five  thousand.  It  was  the  largest  art  exhibition 
eyer  made  in  the  history  of  the  world. 

It  was  not  strange,  therefore,  that  though  our 


4  ELSIE' 8  JOURNEY 

friends  had  been  in  the  building  more  than  once 
before,  they  still  found  an  abundance  of  fine 
works  of  art  which  were  well  worth  attentive 
study,  and  as  entirely  new  to  them  as  though 
they  had  been  but  just  placed  there. 

Little  Elsie  was  particularly  attracted,  and 
her  curiosity  was  excited  by  an  oil  painting 
among  the  French  exhibits  of  Joan  of  Arc 
listening  to  the  voices. 

"Is  there  a  story  to  it?"  she  asked  of  her 
grandma,  who  stood  nearest  to  her  at  the 
moment. 

"Yes,  dear;  and  if  you  want  to  hear  it,  I 
shall  tell  it  to  you  when  we  go  back  to  the 
Dolphin?  was  the  kindly  rejoinder,  and  the 
child,  knowing  that  Grandma  Elsie's  promises 
were  sure  to  be  kept,  said  no  more  at  the 
moment,  but  waited  patiently  until  the  ap 
pointed  time. 

As  usual,  she  and  Neddie  were  ready  for  a 
rest  sooner  than  the  older  people,  and  were 
taken  back  to  the  yacht  by  their  father, 
Grandma  Elsie  and  Grace  accompanying  them, 
saying  that  they,  too,  were  weary  enough  to 
enjoy  sitting  down  with  the  little  folks  for  an 
hour  or  so. 

"  Oh,  I'm  glad  grandma's  going  too !"  cried 
Ned,  and  Elsie  added,  with  a  joyous  look,"  So  am 
I,  grandma,  but  I'm  very  sorry  you  are  tired." 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  5 

"Do  not  let  that  trouble  you,  dearest," 
returned  Mrs.  Travilla,  with  a  loving  smile. 
"You  know  if  I  were  not  tired  I  should  miss 
the  enjoyment  of  resting." 

"And  there  is  enjoyment  in  that,"  remarked 
the  captain;  "yet  I  regret,  mother,  that  your 
strength  is  not  sufficient  to  enable  you  to  see 
and  enjoy  all  the  beautiful  sights  here,  which  we 
may  never  again  have  an  opportunity  to  behold." 

"Well,  captain,  one  cannot  have  everything 
in  this  world,"  returned  Grandma  Elsie,  with  a 
contented  little  laugh,  "and  it  is  a  real  enjoy 
ment  to  me  to  sit  on  the  deck  of  the  Dolphin 
with  my  dear  little  grandchildren  about  me, 
and  entertain  them  with  such  stories  as  will 
both  interest  and  instruct  them." 

"Oh,  are  you  going  to  tell  us  the  story  of 
that  picture  I  asked  you  about,  grandma?" 
queried  little  Elsie,  with  a  look  of  delight. 

"What  picture  was  that?"  asked  her  father, 
who  had  not  heard  what  passed  between  the 
lady  and  the  child  while  gazing  together  upon 
Maillart's  painting. 

Mrs.  Travilla  explained,  adding,  "  I  suppose 
you  have  no  objection  to  my  redeeming  my 
promise?" 

"Oh,  no!  not  at  all;  it  is  a  historical  story, 
and  I  do  not  see  that  it  can  do  them  any  harm 
to  hear  it,  sadly  as  it  ends." 


6  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

They  had  reached  the  yacht  while  talking, 
and  presently  were  on  board  and  comfortably 
seated  underneath  the  awning  on  the  deck. 
Then  the  captain  left  them,  and  Grandma  Elsie, 
noting  the  look  of  eager  expectancy  on  little 
Elsie's  face,  at  once  began  the  coveted  tale. 

"The  story  I  am  about  to  tell  you,"  she  said, 
"is  of  things  done  and  suffered  more  than  four 
hundred  years  ago.  At  that  time  there  was 
war  between  the  English  and  French.  The 
King  of  England,  not  satisfied  with  his  own 
dominions,  wanted  France  also  and  claimed  it 
because  his  mother  was  the  daughter  of  a 
former  French  king;  so  he  sent  an  army  across 
the  Channel  into  France  to  force  the  French  to 
take  him  for  their  king,  instead  of  their  own 
monarch." 

"Didn't  the  French  people  want  to  have  the 
English  king  to  be  theirs  too,  grandma?" 
asked  Elsie. 

"No,  indeed!  and  so  a  long,  long  war  fol 
lowed,  and  a  great  many  of  both  the  French 
and  English  were  killed. 

"At  that  time  there  was  a  young  peasant  girl 
named  Joan,  a  modest,  industrious,  pious  girl, 
who  loved  her  country  and  was  distressed  over 
the  dreadful  war  going  on  in  it.  She  longed  to 
help  to  drive  the  English  away ;  but  it  did  not 
seem  as  if  she — a  girl  of  fifteen,  who  could 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  7 

neither  read  nor  write,  though  she  could  sew 
and  spin  and  work  out  in  the  fields  and  gar 
dens — could  do  anything  to  help  to  rid  her  dear 
land  of  the  invaders.  But  she  thought  a  great 
deal  about  it  and  at  length  imagined  that  she 
heard  heavenly  voices  calling  to  her  to  go  and 
fight  for  her  king.5* 

"And  that  was  the  picture  that  we  saw  to 
day,  grandma?"  asked  Elsie.  "But  it  wasn't 
really  true?" 

"No,  dear;  probably  Joan  of  Arc,  as  she  is 
called,  really  imagined  she  heard  them,  and  the 
painter  has  imagined  how  they  might  have 
looked." 

"Then  it  isn't  real,"  remarked  the  little  girl, 
in  a  tone  of  disappointment. 

"No,  not  what  the  picture  represents;  but 
the  story  of  what  poor  Joan  of  Arc,  or  the 
Maid  of  Orleans,  as  she  is  often  called,  thought 
and  did  is  true.  When  she  told  her  story  of 
the  voices  speaking  to  her  no  one  believed  it; 
they  thought  she  was  crazy.  But  she  was  not 
discouraged.  She  went  to  her  king,  or  rather 
the  dauphin,  for  he  had  not  been  crowned,  and 
told  her  story  to  him  and  his  council — that 
God  had  revealed  to  her  that  the  French  troops 
would  succeed  in  driving  the  enemy  away  from 
the  city  of  Orleans,  which  they  were  besieging 
at  that  time. 


8  ELSIE1 8  JOURNEY 

"The  dauphin  listened,  believed  what  sue 
told  him,  and  gave  her  leave  to  dress  herself  in 
male  attire  and  go  with  the  troops,  riding  on  a 
white  palfrey  and  bearing  a  sword  and  a  white 
banner.  The  soldiers  believed  in  her,  and  in 
consequence  were  filled  with  such  courage  and 
enthusiasm  that  they  fought  very  bravely  and 
soon  succeeded  in  driving  the  English  away 
from  Orleans. 

"This  success  so  delighted  the  French,  and 
so  raised  their  hope  of  ridding  France  of  her 
enemies,  that  they  won  victory  after  victory, 
driving  the  English  out  of  one  province  after 
another,  and  even  out  of  Paris  itself,  so  that 
the  English  hated  and  dreaded  poor  Joan. 

"She  conducted  the  dauphin  to  Kheiras, 
where  he  was  crowned,  and  she  wept  for  joy  as 
she  saluted  him  as  king.  Then  she  wanted  to 
go  home,  thinking  her  work  was  done;  but 
King  Charles  begged  her  to  stay  with  the  army, 
and  to  please  him  she  did.  But  she  began  to 
have  fearful  forebodings  because  she  no  longer 
heard  the  voices.  Yet  she  remained  with  the 
French  army  and  was  present  at  a  good  many 
battles,  till  at  length  she  was  taken  prisoner  by 
the  Burgundians  and  sold  to  the  English  for  a 
large  sum  by  the  Burgundian  officer." 

"Oh, grandma!  and  did  the  English  hurt  her 
for  fighting  for  her  own  dear  country?" 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  9 

"I  cannot  say  certainly,"  replied  Mrs.  Tra- 
villa;  "accounts  differ,  some  saying  that  she 
was  put  to  death  as  a  heretic  and  sorceress; 
others  that  some  five  or  six  years  later  she 
arrived  at  Metz,  was  at  once  recognized  by  her 
two  brothers,  and  afterward  married." 

"  Oh,  I  hope  that  is  the  true  end  of  the  story !" 
exclaimed  Elsie.  "  It  would  be  so  dreadful  to 
have  her  put  to  death  for  helping  to  save  her 
dear  country." 

"So  it  would,"  said  Grace;  "but  in  those 
early  times  such  dreadful,  dreadful  deeds  used 
to  be  done.  I  often  feel  thankful  that  I  did 
not  live  in  those  days." 

"  Yes,"  said  Mrs.  Travilla,  "  we  may  well  be 
full  of  gratitude  and  love  to  God  our  Heavenly 
Father  that  our  lot  has  been  cast  in  these  better 
times  and  in  our  dear  land." 

"And  that  we  have  our  dear,  kind  grandma 
to  love,"  said  Neddie,  nestling  closer  to  her, 
"and  our  papa  and  mamma.  Some  little  chil 
dren  haven't  any." 

"No,  I  had  no  mother  when  I  was  your  age, 
Ned,"  sighed  Grandma  Elsie,  "and  I  cannot 
tell  you  how  much  I  used  to  long  for  her  when 
Aunt  Chloe  would  tell  me  how  sweet  and 
lovely  she  had  been,  and  how  sorry  she  was  to 
leave  her  baby." 

"Her  baby?   was  that  you,  grandma?"  he 


10  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

asked,  with  a  wondering  look  up  into  her 
face. 

"Yes,"  she  replied,  with  a  smile,  and  strok 
ing  his  hair  caressingly. 

"But  you  had  a  papa?  grandpa  is  your  papa, 
isn't  he?  I  hear  you  call  him  that  sometimes." 

"  Yes,  he  is ;  my  dear  father  and  your  mam 
ma's  grandfather,  which  makes  him  yours  too." 

"Mine,  too,"  said  little  Elsie,  in  a  tone  of 
satisfaction. 

"  Oh,  see !  here  comes  the  boat  with  Evelyn 
and  Uncle  Walter  in  it!" 

"You  are  early  to-night  as  well  as  ourselves," 
remarked  Grace,  as  they  stepped  upon  the  deck 
and  drew  near  the  little  group  already  gathered 
there. 

"Yes,"  returned  Evelyn,  "I  was  tired,  and 
Walter  kindly  brought  me  home.  The  yacht 
seems  like  a  home  to  me  nowadays,"  she  added, 
with  a  light  laugh. 

"Yes,"  said  Grace;  "I  am  sure  papa  likes  to 
have  us  all  feel  that  it  is  a  home  to  us  at  present." 

"And  a  very  good  and  comfortable  one  it 
is,"  remarked  Walter,  handing  Evelyn  to  a 
seat,  then  taking  one  himself  opposite  her  and 
near  his  mother's  side. 

"Where  have  you  two  been?  and  what  have 
you  seen  that  is  worth  telling  about?"  asked 
Grace. 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  11 

"Visiting  buildings,"  returned  Walter; 
"Brazil,  Turkey,  Hayti,  Sweden,  and  lastly 
Venezuela." 

"And  what  did  you  see  there?" 

"In  Venezuela's  exhibit?  Christopher 
Columbus  and  General  Bolivar — that  is,  their 
effigies — specimens  of  birds,  animals,  minerals, 
preserves,  spices,  coffee,  vegetables,  fine 
needlework,  some  manufactured  goods,  and 
— most  interesting  of  all,  we  thought — the 
flag  carried  by  Pizarro  in  his  conquest  of 
Peru." 

"Pizarro?  who  was  he?  and  what  did  he  do, 
Uncle  Wai?"  asked  little  Elsie. 

"He  was  a  very,  very  bad  man  and  did 
some  very,  very  wicked  deeds,"  replied 
Walter. 

"Did  he  kill  people?" 

"  Yes,  that  he  did ;  and  got  killed  himself  at 
last.  The  Bible  says,  '  Whoso  sheddeth  man's 
blood,  by  man  shall  his  blood  be  shed,'  and 
there  have  been  a  great  many  examples  of  it  in 
the  history  of  the  world." 

"Does  God  say  that,  Uncle  Walter?"  asked 
Neddie. 

"Yes;  God  said  it  to  Noah,  shortly  after  he 
and  his  family  came  out  of  the  ark." 

"When  the  flood  was  over?" 

"Yes." 


13  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

"Please  tell  us  about  that  flag  and  the  bad 
man  that  carried  it,"  urged  little  Elsie,  and 
Walter  complied. 

"Pizarro  was  a  Spaniard,"  he  began,  "a  very 
courageous,  but  covetous  and  cruel  man ;  very 
ignorant,  too ;  he  could  neither  read  nor  write. 
He  was  a  swineherd  in  his  youth,  but  gave 
up  that  occupation  and  came  over  to  America 
to  seek  a  fortune  in  this  new  world.  He 
crossed  the  Isthmus  of  Panama  with  Balboa  and 
discovered  the  Pacific  Ocean.  While  there  he 
heard  rumors  of  a  country  farther  south,  where 
gold  and  silver  were  said  to  be  as  abundant  as 
iron  in  Spain,  and  he  was  seized  with  a  great 
desire  to  go  there  and  help  himself  to  as  much 
as  possible.  So  he  and  another  fellow  named 
Almagro,  and  Luque,  a  priest,  put  their  money 
together  and  fitted  out  a  small  expedition,  of 
which  Pizarro  took  command. 

"They  did  not  go  very  far  that  time,  but 
afterward  tried  it  again,  first  making  an  agree 
ment  that  all  they  got  of  lands,  treasures,  and 
other  things,  vassals  included,  should  be  divided 
equally  between  them. 

"They  set  sail  in  two  ships.  They  really 
reached  Peru,  and  when  Pizarro  went  back  to 
Panama  he  carried  with  him  many  beautiful 
and  valuable  ornaments  of  gold  and  silver 
which  the  kind-hearted  natives  had  given  him, 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  13 

also  specimens  of  cloth  made  of  wool  and 
having  a  silky  appearance  and  brilliant  color, 
and  some  llamas,  or  alpacas." 

"They  had  certainly  treated  him  very 
kindly,"  remarked  Grace,  as  Walter  paused  for 
a  moment  in  his  narrative. 

"  Yes ;  and  what  a  mean  wretch  he  must  have 
been  to  want  to  rob  them  of  everything — even 
to  life,  liberty,  and  happiness.  He  was  deter 
mined  to  do  that  as  soon  as  possible ;  so  deter 
mined  that,  not  being  able  to  find  enough  vol 
unteers  in  Panama,  he  went  all  the  way  back 
to  Spain  (a  far  greater  undertaking  then  than  it 
would  be  now),  told  the  story  of  his  discoveries 
before  the  king,  Charles  V.,  and  his  ministers; 
describing  the  wealth  of  the  countries  and 
showing  the  goods  and  ornaments  he  had 
brought  from  them. 

"  Then  they  gave  him — what  was  not  theirs 
to  give — permission  to  conquer  Peru,  and  the 
titles  of  governor  and  captain-general  of  that 
country.  He  on  his  part  agreed  to  raise  a  cer 
tain  number  of  troops,  and  to  send  to  the  King 
of  Spain  one-fifth  of  all  the  treasures  he  should 
obtain.  He  then  returned  to  Panama  and  soon 
set  sail  for  Peru  again." 

"  With  a  great  many  soldiers,  Uncle  Wai?" 
queried  little  Ned. 

"No;  with  what  in  these  days  would  be  con< 


14  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

sidered  a  very  small  army;  only  180  soldiers, 
of  whom  27  were  cavalry." 

"Cavalry?"  repeated  Ned,  in  a  tone  of 
enquiry. 

"  Yes,  soldiers  on  horseback.  The  Peruvians, 
having  never  before  seen  a  horse,  took  each 
mounted  man  and  the  steed  he  rode  to  be  but 
one  animal,  and  were  much  afraid  of  them. 
The  firearms,  too,  inspired  great  terror,  as  they 
knew  nothing  of  gunpowder  and  its  uses. 

"At  that  time  there  was  war  among  the 
natives  of  Peru  and  Quito.  Huano  Capac,  the 
former  Inca  of  Peru,  had  died  some  years  pre 
vious,  leaving  Peru  to  his  son  Huascar,  and 
Quito,  which  he  had  conquered  shortly  before, 
to  another  son — half-brother  to  Huascar.  The 
two  had  quarrelled  and  had  been  fighting  each 
other  for  about  two  years,  and  just  before  the 
arrival  of  the  Spaniards  Atahualpa  had  defeated 
his  brother  Huascar,  taken  him  prisoner,  and 
confined  him  in  a  strong  fortress." 

"Perhaps,"  remarked  Evelyn,  "if  they  had 
not  been  so  busy  fighting  each  other  they  might 
have  discovered  the  approach  of  Pizarro,  their 
common  enemy,  in  season  to  prevent  the  mis 
chief  he  was  prepared  to  do  them." 

"Very  possibly,"  returned  Walter.  "As  it 
was,  the  Spaniards  drew  near  Atahualpa's  vic 
torious  camp,  where  they  found  fifty  thousand 


ON  INLAND   WATER8.  IS 

men  assembled.  Fizarro  had  at  the  most  only 
two  hundred ;  a  mere  handful  in  comparison  with 
the  numbers  of  the  Peruvians,  but  by  a  most 
daring  and  diabolical  stratagem  he  got  posses 
sion  of  the  unsuspecting  Inca. 

"Atahualpa  came  to  visit  him  in  a  friendly 
spirit.  A  priest  began  explaining  to  him  the 
Christian,  or  rather  the  papal  religion;  told 
him  that  the  Pope  had  power  over  all  the  king 
doms  of  the  earth  and  that  he  had  presented 
Peru  to  the  King  of  Spain ;  also  that  they  had 
come  to  take  possession  in  the  name  of  that 
king. 

"Naturally  that  made  Atahualpa  very  angry; 
so  angry  that  he  indignantly  interrupted  the 
priest,  saying  that  the  Pope — whoever  he  was — 
must  be  a  crazy  fool  to  talk  of  giving  away 
countries  which  did  not  belong  to  him.  Then 
he  asked  on  what  authority  such  claims  were 
made. 

"The  priest  pointed  to  a  Bible.  Atahualpa 
dashed  it  angrily  to  the  ground,  and  the  fields 
began  to  fill  with  Indians.  Then  Pizarro 
waved  a  white  scarf — the  signal  he  had  agreed 
upon  with  his  men — and  his  artillery  poured 
sudden  death  into  the  terrified  masses  of 
Indians,  while  the  Spanish  cavalry  rode  them 
down  in  a  furious,  merciless  way.  The  ranks 
of  the  poor,  unarmed  Peruvians  were  thrown 


16  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

into  confusion;  their  foes  were  butchering 
them  without  mercy;  they  could  do  little  to 
save  themselves;  they  used  every  effort  to  de 
fend  and  save  the  sacred  Inca,  but  in  vain ;  and 
after  hours  of  that  fiendish  murdering  of  the 
poor,  defenceless  creatures,  the  Spaniards  got 
full  possession  of  him. 

"At  first  they  pretended  to  be  very  kind  to 
him,  especially  when  he  offered,  as  his  ransom, 
to  fill  the  room  in  which  he  stood  with  gold  as 
high  as  he  could  reach. 

"Huascar,  in  his  prison,  heard  of  this  and 
offered  a  still  larger  ransom  for  himself,  and 
to  prevent  it  Atahualpa  had  him  secretly 
murdered. 

"Soon  after  that  the  gold  for  Atahualpa's 
ransom  began  to  pour  in,  and  when  there  was 
as  much  as  he  had  promised  he  demanded  his 
freedom.  But  Pizarro  refused  to  let  him  go- 
though  he  took  the  gold — accusing  him  of  plot 
ting  against  him ;  and  after  much  base  treachery 
the  Spaniards  held  a  mock  trial  and  condemned 
Atahualpa  to  be  burned.  But  when  they  led 
him  out  to  the  stake  he  consented  to  be  bap 
tized,  and  for  that  they  were  so  very  merciful  as 
to  strangle  before  burning  him." 

"  Oh,  Uncle  Walter,  what  cruel,  cruel  men !" 
exclaimed  little  Elsie. 

"They  were,  indeed,"  sighed  her  grandma. 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  17 

"The  Bible  tells  us  'the  tender  mercies  of 
the  wicked  are  cruel.'  Pizarro  and  his  band 
were  very,  very  wicked  men.  They  had  no 
more  right  to  the  country  of  the  Peruvians 
than  the  Peruvians  would  have  had  to  theirs, 
had  they  crossed  the  ocean  to  Spain  and  seized 
upon  it  for  their  own.  'All  they  that  take  the 
sword  shall  perish  with  the  sword,'  our  Saviour 
said,  and  how  true  it  proved  in  the  case  of 
these  men  of  whom  we  have  been  talking! 
Atahualpa  caused  his  brother  Huascar  to  be 
killed ;  Pizarro,  Almagro,  and  the  others  killed 
Atahualpa;  Pizarro  afterward  killed  Almagro; 
and  later  on  Pizarro  was  himself  slain  br 
AlmAgro's  son  Diego." 


CHAPTER  II. 

NBD  had  begun  to  nod,  and  Elsie's  eyes 
drooped  as  if  she  too  were  in  need  of  a  nap; 
perceiving  which  Grandma  Elsie  bade  their 
nurse  take  them  to  their  berth. 

A  light  breeze  had  sprung  up,  and  it  was  very 
pleasant  on  deck  in  the  shade  of  the  awning; 
while,  resting  upon  couches  or  in  easy  chairs, 
they  talked  in  a  quiet  way  of  the  various  inter 
esting  exhibits  to  which  they  had  given  their 
attention  since  leaving  the  yacht  that  morning. 

"We  visited  the  Illinois  Building,"  said 
Evelyn,  "and  were  very  much  interested  in  the 
wonderful  grain  picture  there.  It  is  an  ideal 
prairie  farm — with  farmhouse,  barn,  stock- 
sheds,  all  made  of  corn-husks  as  well  as  the 
picket  fence  surrounding  it;  there  are  stock 
and  poultry  in  the  barnyard;  there  is  a  wind 
mill  too,  and  there  are  fields  and  cattle." 

"Yes,"  said  Walter,  as  Eva  paused  in  her 
account,  "and  the  perspective  showed  fields  of 
grass  and  grain,  pasture  too,  and  sky  effects — 
•11  made  of  natural  grains,  grasses,  leaves,  and 
berries  indigenous  to  Illinois." 
18 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  19 

"Oh,  I  think  I  must  get  papa  to  take  us  to 
see  it !"  exclaimed  Grace. 

"There  is  a  curtain  that  partly  covers  the 
picture,"  continued  Walter;  "it  is  made  of  the 
same  materials  and  caught  up  by  a  rope  with 
tassels  made  of  yellow  corn. 

"  We  visited  the  Idaho  Building  too,"  he 
went  on,  "and  I  think  you  should  all  see  it. 
It  is  really  picturesque — a  log-house  on  a  foun 
dation  of  lava  and  basaltic  rock.  The  timbers 
we  were  told  are  from  young  cedar  trees,  stuffed 
and  stained  to  produce  the  effect  of  age; 
then  it  has  fine  upper  and  lower  balconies 
shaded  by  a  projecting  roof  upheld  by  brackets 
of  logs.  I  heard  people  remarking  that  it  was 
the  handsomest  log-house  ever  built,  and  cer 
tainly  I  never  saw  any  other  nearly  so  hand 
some." 

"Ah,  here  comes  the  boat  again  with  the  rest 
of  our  folks!"  exclaimed  Grace,  and  springing 
to  his  feet,  Walter  hastened  to  the  side  of  the 
vessel  to  assist  the  ladies  in  getting  on  board. 

"  Well,  Lu,  have  you  had  a  good  time  since 
I  left  you?"  asked  Grace,  in  a  lively  tone,  as 
her  sister  drew  near. 

"Yes;  yes,  indeed!"  returned  Lucilla;  "we 
have  seen  and  enjoyed  a  great  deal,  and  I 
wouldn't  have  missed  it  on  any  account, 
though  we  are  all  very  tired,  I  think.  I  am,  I 


90  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

know,"  she  concluded,  dropping  into  a  seat  by 
Grace's  side. 

uAs  we  all  are,"  said  Violet.  "I  am  glad, 
mamma,  that  you  came  back  to  the  yacht  when 
you  did." 

"Yes,  I  thought  it  wiser  not  to  allow 
myself  to  become  very  weary  before  taking 
rest;  and  we  have  had  a  pleasant,  quiet  time 
here  together,"  returned  Grandma  Elsie,  look 
ing  up  with  an  affectionate  smile  into  the  face 
of  her  father,  who  had  just  drawn  near  and  was 
standing  by  her  side,  regarding  her  with  a 
slightly  anxious  look. 

"I  am  glad  you  were  so  prudent,"  he  said, 
"for  you  have  not  been  over  strong  since  that 
illness  that  made  us  all  so  anxious." 

"No;  and  we  all  feel  that  we  must  be  very 
careful  of  our  dear  mother,"  remarked  the 
captain,  who  had  just  joined  the  little 
group. 

"Of  Gracie  also,"  he  added,  smiling  down 
into  her  face  and  laying  a  caressing  hand  for  a 
moment  on  her  head.  "Are  you  feeling  very 
tired,  daughter?" 

"  Not  so  very  much  now,  papa,"  she  answered 
brightly;  "we  have  been  resting  nicely  here, 
talking  over  the  sights  and  historical  stories 
connected  with  them." 

Then,  turning  to  her  sister,  "Tell  us  where 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  21 

yon  have  been  and  what  you  have  seen  since 
we  left  the  party,  Lu,"  she  requested. 

"Ah,  I  am  afraid  I  cannot  begin  to  tell  all," 
returned  Lucilla,  in  a  lively  tone  and  with  a 
pleased  little  laugh,  "for  'their  name  is  legion'; 
the  loveliest  pictures  and  statuary  in  the  Fine 
Arts  Building,  and  a  great  variety  of  curious 
and  interesting  things  in  Machinery  Hall.  We 
went  up  to  the  gallery  there  and  took  a  ride  in 
the  travelling  crane.  It  is  like  an  elevated 
railroad,  is  moved  by  electricity,  and  runs  the 
whole  length  of  the  building,  twenty  or  thirty 
feet  above  the  floor.  We  stepped  in  at  one 
end  and  sat  down  upon  chairs  ranged  along  the 
front  edge,  and  it  was  really  entertaining  to 
watch  the  crowds  of  people  moving  along  the 
floors  below,  and  to  get  at  last  a  glance  at  the 
exhibits." 

"  Exhibits !"  echoed  Grace.  "  Of  what  kind? 
Oh,  machines,  of  course !  But  I  should  hardly 
expect  them  to  be  very  interesting." 

"  Machines  for  making  ice-  cream  and  candy 
would  interest  you,  wouldn't  they?"  asked 
Lulu.  "Perhaps  the  hot  baths,  too;  though  I 
suppose  you  wouldn't  care  much  about  printing- 
presses,  rock-drills,  sewing-machines,  washing- 
machines,  looms,  and  the  like.  I  own  I  didn't 
care  over  much  for  them  myself.  But  in  the 
restful,  cooling,  breezy  ride,  with  nothing  to 


22  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

do  but  watch  the  goings  on  of  other  people, 
and  a  glance  now  and  then  at  something  inter 
esting  as  we  glided  past  it,  I  did  find  a  good 
deal  of  enjoyment.  Ah,"  drawing  out  her 
pretty  little  watch  and  glancing  at  its  face,  "I 
must  excuse  myself  now  and  go  to  my  stateroom; 
for  I  see  it  is  nearly  meal  time,  and  my  hair  and 
dress  certainly  need  some  attention ;"  and  with 
that  she  left  them. 

Mr.  Dinsmore  and  the  captain,  wishing  to 
look  at  some  exhibits  in  which  the  ladies  took 
but  little  interest,  went  ashore  again  early  in 
the  evening;  leaving  Mrs.  Dinsmore,  Mrs. 
Travilla,  and  the  younger  ones  occupying  the 
comfortable  seats  on  the  Dolphin's  deck,  and 
enjoying  the  cool  evening  breeze  and  the  some 
what  distant  view  of  the  beauties  of  the  bril 
liantly  illuminated  White  City,  as  well  as  that 
of  the  starry  heavens  above  them. 

Violet  had  gone  down  to  the  cabin  with  her 
children  to  see  them  safely  in  bed,  and  for 
some  minutes  no  one  left  in  the  little  group 
behind  had  spoken.  But  presently  Grace  broke 
the  silence. 

"  I  have  just  been  thinking  what  a  wonderful 
change  has  come  over  this  part  of  our  country 
since  the  war  of  1812.  I  remember  that  history 
tells  us  there  was  only  a  fort  and  a  trading  post 
here  then,  where  now  this  great  city  stands, 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  23 

and  that  it  was  destroyed.  Grandma  Elsie, 
don't  you  want  to  tell  us  the  whole  story?"  she 
concluded  in  a  coaxing  tone. 

"I  am  willing,  if  you  all  wish  it,"  was  the 
sweet-toned  reply,  immediately  followed  by  an 
eager  assent  from  everyone  present. 

"Well,  then,  my  dears,"  she  said,  "to  begin 
at  the  beginning — this  spot,  we  are  told,  was 
first  visited  by  a  white  man  in  1674.  He  was  a 
French  Jesuit  called  Father  Marquette.  He 
built  a  cabin  there  and  planted  a  missionary 
station.  Eleven  years  afterward  his  cabin  was 
replaced  by  a  fort.  I  do  not  know  how  long 
that  fort  stood,  but  Lossing  tells  us  that  in 
1796  a  mulatto  from  St.  Domingo  found  his 
way  to  that  far-off  wilderness,  and  that  the 
Indians  said  of  him  'the  first  white  man  who 
settled  here  was  a  negro.'  He  did  not  stay 
very  long,  however,  and  the  improvements  he 
had  made  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  next  comer, 
who  was  a  native  of  Quebec  named  John 
Kinzie. 

"He  was  an  enterprising  trader  with  the 
Indians,  and  for  twenty  years  the  only  white 
man  in  northern  Illinois  except  a  few  American 
soldiers.  It  was  in  1804  that  he  made  Chicago 
his  home,  and  on  the  Fourth  of  July  of  that  year 
•  fort  our  government  had  been  building  there 
•was  formally  dedicated  and  called  Fort  Dear- 


24  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY. 

born,  in  honor  of  the  then  Secretary  of  War. 
It  stood  on  a  slight  elevation  on  the  south  bank 
of  the  Chicago  River,  about  half  a  mile  from 
its  mouth,  and  directly  opposite,  on  the  north 
bank,  stood  Mr.  Kinzie's  dwelling.  It  was  a 
modest  mansion  begun  by  Jean  Baptiste,  and 
enlarged  by  Mr.  Kinzie.  He  had  some  Lom- 
bardy  poplars  planted  in  front  within  an 
enclosed  yard,  and  at  the  back  a  fine  garden 
and  growing  orchard. 

"  There  he  had  lived  in  peace  and  prosperity, 
esteemed  and  confided  in  by  the  surrounding 
Indians,  for  eight  years,  when  in  June  of  1812 
war  was  declared  by  our  government  with 
Great  Britain.  Of  course  you  all  know  and 
remember  what  were  the  causes  of  that  second 
struggle  with  our  mother  country?" 

"Indeed  we  do,  mother,"  exclaimed  Walter. 
"She  interfered  with  our  commerce,  captur 
ing  every  American  vessel  bound  to,  or  return 
ing  from  a  port  where  her  commerce  was  not 
favored;  and  worse  still,  was  continually  seiz 
ing  our  sailors  and  forcing  them  into  her  ser 
vice  ;  depriving  us  of  our  God-given  rights  and 
making  slaves  of  freemen.  If  ever  a  war  was 
justifiable  on  one  side  that  one  was  on  ours. 
Is  it  not  so?" 

"I  think  it  is,  my  son,"  replied  Grandma 
Elsie,  smiling  slightly  at  the  lad's  heat. 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  25 

"Was  Fort  Dearborn  strong  and  well  built, 
mamma?"  queried  Rosie. 

"Yes;  it  was  strongly  picketed,  had  a  block 
house  at  each  of  two  angles  on  the  southern 
side,  on  the  north  side  a  sally-port  and  covered 
way  that  led  down  to  the  river  for  the  double 
purpose  of  obtaining  water  during  a  siege  and 
of  having  a  way  of  escape  should  that  be  desir 
able  at  any  time — and  was  strongly  picketed. 

"The  fort  was  built  by  Major  Whistler,  his 
soldiers  dragging  all  the  timber  to  the  spot  be 
cause  they  had  no  oxen.  Some  material  was 
furnished  from  Fort  Wayne,  but  so  economic 
ally  was  the  work  done  that  the  fortress  did 
not  cost  the  government  fifty  dollars. 

"But  to  return  to  my  story — the  garrison 
there  at  the  time  of  the  declaration  of  war  con 
sisted  of  fifty-four  men.  The  only  other  resi 
dents  of  the  post  at  that  time  were  the  wives 
of  Captain  Heald  and  Lieutenant  Helm,  the 
second  in  command,  those  of  some  of  the  sol 
diers,  a  few  Canadians  with  their  wives  and 
children,  and  Mr.  Kinzie  and  his  family. 

"  They  were  all  on  the  most  friendly  terms 
with  the  principal  tribes  of  Indians  in  that 
neighborhood — the  Pottawatomies  and  Winne- 
bagoes,  yet  they  could  not  win  them  from  their 
attachment  for  the  British,  who  yearly  made 
them  itirge  presents  as  bribes  to  secure  their 


26  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

alliance.  Portions  of  their  tribes  had  been 
engaged  in  the  battle  of  Tippecanoe,  fought 
the  previous  autumn,  and  since  that  some  of  the 
leading  chiefs  had  seemed  sullen,  and  suspicions 
of  intended  hostility  on  their  part  at  times 
troubled  the  minds  of  the  officers  of  the  fort. 

"One  day  in  the  spring  of  1812  two  Indiana 
of  the  Calumet  band  were  at  the  fort,  and  see 
ing  Mrs.  Helm  and  Mrs.  Heald  playing  at 
battledore,  one  of  them,  named  Nan-non-gee, 
turned  to  the  interpreter  with  the  remark, 
'The  white  chiefs'  wives  are  amusing  themselves 
very  much;  it  will  not  be  long  before  they  will 
be  living  in  our  cornfields. '  " 

"Oh!"  cried  Grace,  "I  should  think  that 
ought  to  have  been  enough  to  warn  the  officers 
of  the  fort  to  make  every  preparation  to  repel 
an  assault  by  the  Indians." 

"Yes,"  said  Grandma  Elsie,  "but  Heald 
seems  to  have  been  strangely  blind  and  deaf  to 
every  kind  of  warning. 

"On  the  evening  of  the  7th  of  April,  1812, 
Mr.  Kinzie  sat  by  his  fireside  playing  his 
violin,  his  children  dancing  to  the  music,  when 
their  mother,  who  had  been  attending  a  sick 
neighbor,  a  Mrs.  Burns,  living  half  a  mile 
above  the  fort,  came  rushing  wildly  in  crying 
out:  'The  Indians!  the  Indians!'  'What? 
where?'  exclaimed  her  husband.  'Up  at  Lee 'a, 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  27 

killing  and  scalping!'  she  gasped  in  reply, 
and  went  on  to  tell  that  the  alarm  had  been 
given  by  a  boy,  the  son  of  Mr.  Lee,  and  a 
discharged  soldier  who  had  been  working  for 
them.  They  had  shouted  the  dreadful  tidings 
across  the  river  to  the  Burns  family,  as  they 
ran  down  the  farther  side,  Mr.  Lee's  place 
being  between  two  and  three  miles  farther  up 
the  stream. 

"  Not  a  moment  was  to  be  lost.  Mr.  Kinzie 
hurried  his  family  into  two  pirogues  moored 
in  front  of  his  house,  and  hastened  with  them 
across  the  river  and  into  the  fort.  The  alarm 
had  reached  there  also,  and  a  scow  with  Ensign 
Ronan  and  six  men  started  at  once  up  the  river 
to  rescue  the  Burns  family.  Also  a  cannon 
was  fired  to  give  notice  of  danger  to  a  party 
of  soldiers  who  were  out  fishing.  Mrs.  Burns 
and  her  family,  including  an  infant  not  yet  a 
day  old,  were  taken  safely  to  the  fort." 

"  I  hope  those  soldiers  got  back  safely  too," 
said  Grace. 

"Yes;  they  were  two  miles  above  Lee's;  it 
was  already  dark  when  they  returned,  and  in 
passing  his  house  they  came  upon  the  bodies  of 
murdered  and  scalped  persons,  which  were  the 
next  day  recovered  and  buried  near  the  fort. 
It  was  afterward  learned  that  the  scalping 
party  were  Winnebagoes  from  Rock  River,  who 


28  ELSIE'S  JOUH2fEY 

had  come  with  the  intention  of  killing  every 
white  person  outside  of  the  fort,  but  were 
frightened  away  by  the  sound  of  the  cannon 
before  they  had  finished  their  fiendish  work;  so 
fled  back  to  their  homes. 

"  In  those  days  an  agency  house  stood  upon 
the  esplanade,  about  twenty  rods  west  from 
the  fort,  and  in  it  all  the  whites  not  belonging 
to  the  garrison  now  took  refuge.  It  was  an 
old-fashioned  log-house,  with  a  passage  through 
the  centre,  and  piazzas  in  front  and  rear  extend 
ing  the  whole  length  of  the  building.  These 
were  planked  up,  port-holes  cut  in  the  barri 
cades  and  sentinels  were  posted  there  every 
night. 

"Hostile  Indians  hovered  around  the  post 
for  some  time,  helping  themselves  to  whatever 
they  could  lay  their  hands  upon,  but  at  length 
disappeared,  and  for  a  while  there  was  no  fur 
ther  alarm. 

"On  the  7th  of  August,  toward  evening,  a 
friendly  Pottawatomie  chief,  named  Win-ne- 
meg,  or  the  Catfish,  came  to  Chicago  from  Fort 
Wayne  as  the  bearer  of  a  despatch  from  Gen 
eral  Hull  to  Captain  Heald.  In  that  despatch 
Hull  told  of  the  declaration  of  war  with  Eng 
land,  the  invasion  of  Canada,  and  the  loss  of 
Mackinack.  It  also  ordered  Captain  Heald  to 
evacuate  Fort  Dearborn,  if  practicable;  and  if 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  29 

he  did  so  to  distribute  all  the  United  States 
property  there  among  the  Indians  in  the  neigh 
borhood.** 

"Including  guns,  powder,  and  balls  with 
which  to  kill  the  whites!"  said  Lucilla.  "I 
think  I  should  have  concluded  from  such  an 
order  that  Hull  must  be  either  a  traitor  or  an 
idiot." 

"His  idea,"  said  Grandma  Elsie,  "seems  to 
have  been  to  make  a  peace-offering  to  the 
savages  to  induce  them  to  refrain  from  joining 
the  British,  then  menacing  Detroit. 

"Win-ne-meg,  who  had  some  knowledge  of 
the  contents  of  the  missive  he  brought,  begged 
Mr.  Kinzie,  with  whom  he  was  intimate,  to 
advise  Captain  Heald  not  to  evacuate  the  fort, 
assuring  him  it  would  prove  a  difficult  and 
dangerous  movement;  for  the  Indians  had 
already  received  information  from  Tecumseh 
of  the  disasters  to  the  American  arms  and  the 
withdrawal  of  Hull's  army  from  Canada,  and 
were  growing  insolent  and  restless.  The  fort 
was  well  supplied  with  ammunition  and  pro 
visions  sufficient  to  last  for  six  months;  by  the 
end  of  that  time  relief  might  be  sent,  and  why 
not  hold  out  till  then?  But  if  Heald  was  re 
solved  to  evacuate,  it  had  better  be  done  at  once, 
before  the  Indians  should  be  informed  of  the 
order,  and  so  be  prepared  to  make  an  attack. 


30  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

"Win-ne-meg's  advice  in  that  case  was  to 
leave  the  stores  as  they  were,  allowing  them 
to  make  distribution  for  themselves ;  for  while 
they  were  engaged  in  that  business  the  white 
people  might  make  their  way  in  safety  to  Fort 
Wayne. 

"Mr.  Kinzie  perceived  that  this  was  wise 
advice,  as  did  the  officers  of  the  fort,  with  the 
exception  of  Heald,  who  would  not  listen  to  it, 
but  expressed  himself  as  resolved  to  yield  strict 
obedience  to  Hull's  orders  as  to  evacuation  and 
the  distribution  of  the  public  property. 

"The  next  morning  Hull's  order  was  read  to 
the  troops,  and  Heald  took  the  whole  respon 
sibility  of  carrying  it  out.  His  officers  ex 
pected  to  be  summoned  to  a  council,  but  they 
were  not.  Toward  evening  they  called  upon 
the  commander  and  remonstrated  with  him. 
They  said  that  the  march  must  necessarily  be 
slow  on  account  of  the  women,  children,  and 
infirm  persons,  therefore,  under  the  circum 
stances,  exceedingly  perilous.  They  reminded 
him  that  Hull's  order  left  it  to  his  discretion  to 
go  or  to  stay;  adding  that  they  thought  it  much 
wiser  to  strengthen  the  fort,  defy  the  savages, 
and  endure  a  siege  until  help  could  reach  them. 

"But  Heald  replied  that  he  should  expect 
the  censure  of  the  government  if  he  remained, 
for  special  orders  had  been  issued  by  the  War 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  31 

Department  that  no  post  should  be  surrendered 
without  battle  having  been  given  by  the 
assailed ;  and  his  force  was  entirely  too  small  to 
hazard  an  engagement  with  the  Indians.  He 
added  that  he  had  full  confidence  in  the  profea* 
sions  of  friendship  of  many  chiefs  about  him, 
and  he  would  call  them  together,  make  the 
required  distribution,  then  take  up  his  march 
for  Fort  Wayne." 

"And  did  the  other  officers  submit  to  him 
then,  Grandma  Elsie?"  asked  Grace. 

"Yes;  my  dear,  he  was  in  authority,  and  I 
presume  they  were  too  loyal  to  oppose  him. 
But  being  determined  to  abandon  the  fort,  he 
should  have  done  so  at  once;  for  delay  was  cer 
tainly  increasing  the  danger,  the  Indians  be 
coming  more  unruly  every  hour;  yet  he  pro 
crastinated  and  did  not  call  them  together  for 
the  final  arrangements  for  two  or  three  days. 

"At  last  that  was  done  and  they  met  near 
the  fort  on  the  afternoon  of  the  12th,  when 
Heald  held  a  farewell  council  with  them.  He 
invited  his  officers  to  join  him  in  that,  but  they 
refused.  In  some  way  they  had  been  informed 
that  treachery  was  intended  on  the  part  of  the 
Indians,  that  they  had  planned  to  murder  them 
and  then  destroy  those  who  were  in  the  fort. 
Therefore  they  remained  inside  the  pickets  and 
opened  a  port-hole  of  one  of  the  block -houses  so 


32  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

that  the  Indians  could  see  a  cannon  pointing 
directly  toward  their  group,  thus  protecting 
Captain  Heald.  It  had  the  desired  effect;  no 
effort  was  made  by  the  savages  to  carry  out 
their  treacherous  design,  they  professed  friend 
ship,  and  accepted  Heald's  offers  to  distribute 
among  them  the  goods  in  the  public  store — 
blankets,  calicoes,  broadcloths,  paints,  and 
other  things  such  as  Indians  fancy." 

"  Beads  among  them,  I  presume,"  remarked 
Rosie. 

"Very  likely,"  said  her  mother,  "as  they 
have  always  been  a  favorite  ornament  with  the 
Indians.  The  distribution  of  those  goods,  the 
arms  and  ammunition  and  such  of  the  provisions 
as  would  not  be  needed  by  the  garrison,  was  to 
take  place  next  day ;  then  the  whites  were  to 
leave  the  fort  and  set  out  upon  their  journey 
through  the  wilderness,  the  Pottawatomies 
engaging  to  furnish  them  with  an  escort,  on 
condition  of  being  liberally  rewarded  on  their 
arrival  at  Fort  Wayne." 

"  Oh,  but  I  should  have  been  afraid  to  trust 
them!"  exclaimed  Grace,  shuddering  at  the 
very  thought  of  the  risk. 

"Mr.  Kinzie,  who  knew  the  Indians  so  well, 
was  of  your  opinion,"  said  Grandma  Elsie, 
"and  earnestly  remonstrated  with  Captain 
Heald ;  telling  him  they  were  not  to  be  trusted 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  33 

in  the  face  of  such  temptations.  Especially 
he  urged  him  not  to  put  arms  and  ammunition 
in  their  hands,  as  that  would  fearfully  increase 
their  ability  to  carry  on  the  murderous  raids 
which  had  become  so  frequent  and  caused  so 
great  terror  in  the  frontier  settlements. 

"  He  succeeded  in  convincing  Heald  that  he 
had  been  very  foolish  in  making  that  promise, 
and  he  resolved  to  violate  his  treaty  so  far  as 
the  arms  and  ammunition  were  concerned. 
That  very  evening  something  occurred  that 
certainly  ought  to  have  opened  Heald's  eyes 
and  led  him  to  shut  the  gates  of  the  fort  and 
defend  it  to  the  last  extremity.  Black  Par 
tridge,  a  chief  who  had  thus  far  always  been 
friendly  to  the  whites,  and  who  was  a  man  of 
great  influence  too,  came  to  Heaid  in  a  quiet 
way  and  said,  'Father,  I  come  to  deliver  to  you 
the  medal  I  wear.  It  was  given  me  by  the 
Americans,  and  I  have  long  worn  it  in  token  of 
our  mutual  friendship.  But  our  young  men 
are  resolved  to  imbrue  their  hands  in  the  blood 
of  the  white  people.  I  cannot  restrain  them. 
and  I  will  not  wear  a  token  of  peace  while  1 
am  compelled  to  act  as  an  enemy. ' * 

"And  did  Heald  actually  disregard  such  a 
•warning  as  that?"  exclaimed  Evelyn  Leland. 
"  I  really  do  not  see  how  it  co«ld  have  been 
made  plainer  that  the  purpose  was  to  attack  and 


34  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

aaurder  all  in  the  fort  as  soon  as  they  were 
fairly  in  their  power." 

« Nor  do  I,"  said  Grandma  Elsie ;  "yet  Heald 
seems  to  have  paid  no  more  attention  to  it  thaa 
to  the  previous  warnings. 

"The  next  morning,  August  13,  was  bright 
and  cool.  The  Indians  came  in  great  numbers 
to  receive  their  promised  presents.  Only  the 
goods  in  the  store  were  distributed  that  day, 
and  in  the  evening  Black  Partridge  said  to  Mr. 
Griffith,  the  interpreter,  '  Linden  birds  have 
been  singing  in  my  ears  to-day ;  be  careful  on 
the  march  you  are  going  to  take.'  This  was 
repeated  to  Captain  Heald,  but  solemn  warn 
ing  as  it  evidently  was,  he  paid  no  more  atten 
tion  to  it  than  he  had  to  previous  ones.  He 
seems  to  have  been  perfectly  infatuated,  and 
how  he  could  ever  forgive  himself  in  after 
years  I  cannot  see.  He  went  steadily  on  in 
the  execution  of  his  plans,  of  which,  as  I  have 
told  you,  all  the  other  officers,  Mr.  Kinzie,  and 
friendly  Indian  chiefs  disapproved.  That  night 
he  had  all  the  guns  but  such  as  his  party  could 
make  use  of  in  their  journey — gunscrews,  flint, 
shot,  and  everything  belonging  to  the  use  of 
firearms — thrown  into  the  well.  This  was  done 
at  midnight,  when  the  sentinels  were  posted 
ind  the  Indians  in  their  camp ;  at  least,  they 
were  supposed  to  be,  but  the  night  was  dark, 


0^  INLAND   WATERS.  35 

Indians  can  move  noiselessly,  and  some  whose 
suspicions  had  been  aroused  crept  to  the  spot 
and  made  themselves  acquainted  with  what 
was  going  on.  Liquor  and  powder,  too,  were 
poured  into  the  well,  and  a  good  deal  of  alcohol, 
belonging  to  Mr.  Kinzie,  into  the  river;  also  a 
portion  of  the  powder  and  liquor  of  the  fort 
was  thrown  into  a  canal  that  came  up  from 
the  river  far  under  the  covered  way.  But  the 
water  of  the  river  was  sluggish,  and  so  great  a 
quantity  of  liquor  had  been  thrown  into  it  that 
in  the  morning  it  was  like  strong  grog;  and 
powder  could  be  seen  floating  on  the  surface." 

"And  of  course  the  Indians,  who  loved  liquor, 
were  angry  when  they  saw  how  it  had  been 
wasted,  instead  of  given  to  them,"  remarked 
Grace. 

"Yes;  their  complaints  and  threats  were 
loud,  and  now  the  little  garrison  had  no  choice 
but  to  brave  the  danger  of  exposing  themselves 
to  their  vengeance,  for  it  was  no  longer  pos 
sible  to  hold  the  fort,  and  they  must  set  out 
upon  their  perilous  journey.  Ah !  if  Heald  had 
but  been  less  obstinately  bent  upon  having  his 
own  way — more  willing  to  listen  to  the  advice 
and  remonstrances  of  his  officers,  Kinzie,  who 
understood  the  Indians  so  well,  and  the  warn 
ing  of  the  friendly  chiefs,  much  suffering  might 
have  been  averted  and  valuable  lives  saved. 


36  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

"Mrs.  Heald  had  an  uncle,  the  brave  Captain 
William  Wells,  who  had  passed  most  of  bis  life 
among  the  Miami  Indians  and  been  made  one 
of  their  chiefs.  He  had  heard  at  Fort  Wayne 
of  Hull's  order  to  evacuate  Fort  Dearborn,  and 
knowing  of  the  hostility  of  the  Pottawatomies, 
had  made  a  rapid  march  across  the  country 
with  a  party  of  his  Miamis  to  reinforce  Heald 
and  help  him  to  hold  and  defend  the  fort.  But 
he  arrived  just  too  late ;  the  means  of  defence 
had  already  been  destroyed,  and  there  was  no 
choice  but  to  attempt  the  perilous  march 
through  the  wilderness. 

"Nine  o'clock  of  the  15th  was  the  hour  set 
for  the  evacuation,  and  it  was  already  evi 
dent  that  the  Indians  intended  to  massacre  the 
whites — men,  women,  and  children.  Nor  could 
they  entertain  any  hope  of  being  able  to  defend 
themselves,  so  overwhelming  was  the  number 
of  their  savage  foes,  500  warriors  against  54 
soldiers,  12  civilians,  and  3  or  4  women." 

"But  there  were  the  Miamis  with  Wells, 
mamma,"  remarked  Rosie. 

"Who  proved  of  no  assistance,"  returned 
Grandma  Elsie.  "Lossing  tells  us  that  when, 
at  nine  o'clock,  the  gates  were  thrown  open,  and 
the  march  began,  it  was  like  a  funeral  procession. 
The  band  struck  up  the  Dead  March  in  'Saul.' 
Captain  Wells,  with  his  friendly  Miamis,  took 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  37 

the  lead,  his  face  blackened  with  gunpowder  in 
token  of  his  impending  fate.  His  niece,  Mrs. 
Heald,  with  her  husband,  came  next,  while  the 
others,  I  presume,  followed  in  the  order  of 
their  rank." 

"Were  the  Kinzies  with  them?"  asked 
Grace. 

"Mr.  Kinzie  was,  hoping  by  his  personal 
influence  to  be  able  to  soften,  if  not  avert  their 
impending  fate.  His  family  had  left  in  a  boat, 
in  charge  of  a  friendly  Indian  who  was  to  take 
them  to  his  other  trading  station,  where  Niles, 
Mich. ,  now  stands.  Poor  Mrs.  Kinzie !  having 
a  daughter  among  the  seemingly  doomed  ones, 
how  terribly  anxious  and  distressed  she  must 
have  been!"  added  Grandma  Elsie  in  tones 
tremulous  with  feeling.  A  moment  of  silence 
followed,  then  she  went  on  with  her  narrative. 


CHAPTER  III. 

"  THE  procession,  escorted  by  the  five  hundred 
Pottawatomies,  moved  slowly  along  the  lake 
shore  in  a  southerly  direction  till  they  had 
reached  the  Sand  Hills  between  the  prairie  and 
the  beach.  There  the  Indians  filed  to  the 
right,  so  that  the  hills  were  between  them  and 
the  white  people. 

"  Wells  and  his  mounted  Miamis,  who  were 
in  the  advance,  came  suddenly  dashing  back, 
their  leader  shouting,  'They  are  about  to  attack 
us:  form  instantly!' 

"The  words  had  scarcely  left  his  lips  when 
a  storm  of  bullets  came  from  the  Sand  Hills. 
The  Pottawatomies,  both  treacherous  and 
cowardly,  had  made  of  those  hills  a  covert  from 
which  to  attack  the  little  band  of  whites. 

"The  troops  were  hastily  brought  into  line, 
charged  up  the  hill,  and  one  of  their  number,  a 
white-haired  man  of  seventy,  fell  dead  from 
his  horse,  the  first  victim  of  the  perfidy  of  the 
Indians  hounded  on  by  the  inhuman  Proctor,  a 
worse  savage  than  they. 

"  The  Miarais  proved  cowardly  and  fled  at  the 

38 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  39 

irst  onset.  Their  chief  rode  up  to  the  Potta- 
watomies,  charged  them  with  perfidy,  and 
brandishing  his  tomahawk  told  them  he  would 
be  the  first  to  lead  Americans  to  punish  them; 
then,  wheeling  his  horse,  he  dashed  away  over 
the  prairie,  following  his  fleeing  companions. 

"Both  men  and  women  among  the  whites 
fought  bravely  for  their  lives ;  they  could  not 
hope  to  save  them,  but  they  would  sell  them  to 
the  savage  foe  as  dearly  as  possible.  It  was  a 
short,  desperate,  bloody  conflict.  Lossing  tells 
us  that  Captain  Wells  displayed  the  greatest 
coolness  and  gallantry.  At  the  beginning  of  the 
fight  he  was  close  beside  his  niece,  Mrs.  Heald. 

"'We  have  not  the  slightest  chance  for  life,' 
he  said  to  her.  '  We  must  part  to  meet  no  more 
in  this  world;  God  bless  you!'  and  with  that 
he  dashed  forward  into  the  midst  of  the  fight. 
Seeing  a  young  warrior,  painted  like  a  demon, 
climb  into  a  wagon  in  which  were  twelve  chil 
dren,  and  scalp  them  all,  he  forgot  bis  own 
danger,  and  burning  to  avenge  the  dreadful 
deed,  cried  out,  'If  butchering  women  and  chil 
dren  is  their  game,  I'll  kill  too !'  at  the  same 
time  dashing  toward  the  Indian  camp  where 
they  had  left  their  squaws  and  papooses. 

"Instantly  swift-footed  young  warriors  were 
in  hot  pursuit,  firing  upon  him  as  they  ran, 
while  he,  lying  close  to  his  horse's  neck,  occa- 


40  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

sionally  turned  and  fired  upon  them.  He  had 
got  almost  beyond  the  range  of  their  rifles 
when  a  shot  killed  his  horse  and  wounded  him 
severely  in  the  leg. 

"Yelling  like  fiends  the  young  savages 
rushed  forward  to  make  him  prisoner,  intend 
ing,  as  he  well  knew,  not  to  kill  him  at  once, 
but  to  reserve  him  for  a  lingering  and  painful 
death  by  slow  torture.  Two  Indian  friends  of 
his — Win-ne-meg  and  Wau-ban-see — tried  to 
save  him,  but  in  vain;  and  he,  knowing  well 
for  what  fate  he  would  be  reserved  if  taken 
alive,  taunted  his  pursuers  with  the  most  in 
sulting  epithets,  to  provoke  them  to  kill  him 
instantly. 

"He  succeeded  at  last  by  calling  one  of 
them,  Per-so-tum  by  name,  a  squaw,  which  so 
enraged  him  that  he  despatched  Wells  at  once 
with  a  tomahawk,  jumped  upon  his  body,  tore 
out  his  heart,  and  ate  a  portion  of  it  with  sav 
age  delight." 

"Oh,  how  awful!"  cried  Grace,  shuddering 
with  horror.  "How  his  niece  must  have  felt 
when  she  saw  it!" 

"Very  possibly  she  did  not  see  it,"  said 
Grandma  Elsie,  "  so  busy  as  she  must  have  been 
in  defending  herself.  She  was  an  expert  with 
the  rifle  and  as  an  equestrienne,  defended  her 
self  bravely,  and  received  severe  wounds ;  but, 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  41 

though  faint  and  bleeding,  managed  to  keep 
the  saddle.  An  Indian  raised  his  tomahawk 
over  her  and  she  looked  him  full  in  the  face, 
saying,  with  a  melancholy  smile,  'Surely  you 
would  not  kill  a  squaw!'  At  that  his  arm  fell, 
but  he  took  the  horse  by  the  bridle  and  led  it 
toward  the  camp  with  her  still  in  the  saddle. 
It  was  a  fine  animal,  and  the  Indians  had  been 
firing  at  her  in  order  to  get  possession  of  it,  till 
she  had  received  seven  bullets  in  her  person. 
Her  captor  had  spared  her  for  the  moment,  but 
as  he  drew  near  the  camp,  his  covetousness  so 
overcame  his  better  impulses  that  he  took  her 
bonnet  from  her  head  and  was  about  to  scalp 
her  when  Mrs.  Kinzie,  sitting  in  her  boat, 
whence  she  had  heard  the  sounds  of  the  conflict 
but  could  not  see  the  combatants,  caught  sight 
of  them  and  cried  out  to  one  of  her  husband's 
clerks  who  was  standing  on  the  beach,  'Run, 
run,  Chandonnai !  That  is  Mrs.  Heald.  He  is 
going  to  kill  her.  Take  that  mule  and  offer  it 
as  a  ransom.' 

"  Chandonnai  made  haste  to  obey  the  order, 
offered  the  mule  and  two  bottles  of  whisky  in 
addition,  and  as  the  three  amounted  to  more 
value  than  Proctor's  offered  bounty  for  a  scalp, 
he  succeeded,  and  Mrs.  Heald  was  placed  in  the 
boat  and  there  hidden  from  the  eyes  of  other 
scaip-hunters." 


42  ELSIE '8  JOURNEY 

"I  think  you  were  right,  Grandma  Elsie,  i» 
calling  that  Proctor  a  worse  savage  than  those 
Indians!  bribing  them  as  he  did  to  murder 
men,  women,  and  children !"  exclaimed  Lucilla, 
her  eyes  flashing  with  indignation. 

"Is  it  quite  certain  that  he  did?"  asked 
Grace. 

"Quite,"  replied  Grandma  Elsie.  "Lossing 
tells  us  that  Proctor  had  offered  a  liberal  sum 
for  scalps,  and  that  in  consequence  nearly 
all  the  wounded  men  were  killed,  their  scalps 
carried  to  him  at  Maiden,  and  such  a  bounty 
paid  for  them  as  is  given  for  the  destruction  of 
so  many  wolves.  In  a  footnote  Lossing  gives 
an  extract  from  Niles'  Weekly  Register  of  April 
3,  1813,  in  which  it  is  stated  that  Mrs.  Helm 
had  arrived  in  Buffalo,  and  in  the  narrative  she 
gave  of  her  sufferings  at  and  after  the  massacre 
at  Chicago  said,  'Colonel  Proctor,  the  British 
commander  at  Maiden,  bought  the  scalps  of  our 
murdered  garrison  at  Chicago,'  and  thanks  to 
her  noble  spirit,  she  boldly  charged  him  with 
the  infamy  in  his  own  house." 

"Did  he  deny  it?"  asked  Evelyn. 

"  We  are  not  told  that  he  did ;  but  no  doubt 
he  was  angered,  for  he  afterward  treated  both 
her  and  her  husband  with  great  cruelty,  causing 
them  to  be  arrested  and  sent  across  the  wilder 
ness  from  Detroit  to  Niagara  frontier,  in  the 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  43 

dead  of  a  Canadian  winter.  The  writer  also 
stated  that  Mrs.  Heald  had  learned  from  the 
tribe  with  whom  she  was  a  prisoner,  and  who 
were  the  perpetrators  of  those  murders,  that 
they  intended  to  remain  true,  but  received 
orders  from  the  British  to  cut  off  our  garrison 
whom  they  were  to  escort. 

"In  our  wars  with  England  many  British 
officers  have  shown  themselves  extremely  cruel, 
— not  a  whit  behind  the  savages  in  that  re 
spect, — but  it  would  be  very  wrong  to  judge  of 
the  whole  nation  by  their  conduct;  for  there 
were  in  the  mother  country  many  who  felt 
kindly  toward  America  and  the  Americans. 
And  I  think,"  she  added,  with  her  own  sweet 
smile,  "that  there  are  many  more  now." 

**  It  seems  Mrs.  Helm  too  escaped  with  her 
life,"  said  Walter;  "but  she  was  wounded,  I 
presume,  mother,  since  you  just  spoke  of  her 
sufferings  both  at  and  after  the  massacre." 

"  Yes,  a  stalwart  young  Indian  attempted  to 
scalp  her;  she  sprang  to  one  side,  and  the  blow 
from  his  tomahawk  fell  on  her  shoulder  instead 
of  her  head ;  at  the  same  instant  she  seized  him 
around  the  neck  and  attempted  to  take  his 
scalping-knife,  which  hung  in  a  sheath  on  his 
breast.  Before  the  struggle  was  ended  another 
Indian  seized  her,  dragged  her  to  the  margin  of 
the  lake,  plunged  her  in,  and  to  her  astonish* 


44  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

ment  held  her  there  in  a  way  to  enable  her  to 
breathe;  so  that  she  did  not  drown.  Presently 
she  discovered  that  he  was  the  friendly  Black 
Partridge,  and  that  he  was  engaged  in  saving 
instead  of  trying  to  destroy  her  life. 

"  The  wife  of  a  soldier  named  Corbord  fought 
desperately,  suffering  herself  to  be  cut  to  pieces 
rather  than  surrender;  believing  that,  if  taken 
prisoner,  she  would  be  reserved  for  torture. 
The  wife  of  Sergeant  Holt  was  another  brave 
woman.  At  the  beginning  of  the  engagement 
her  husband  was  badly  wounded  in  the  neck, 
and  taking  his  sword  she  fought  like  an  Ama 
zon.  She  rode  a  fine,  spirited  horse,  which  the 
Indians  coveted,  and  several  of  them  attacked 
her  with  the  butts  of  their  guns,  trying  to  dis 
mount  her,  but  she  used  her  sword  with  such 
skill  that  she  foiled  them ;  then  suddenly  wheel 
ing  her  horse,  she  dashed  over  the  prairie,  a 
number  of  them  in  hot  pursuit  and  shouting, 
'The  brave  woman!  the  brave  woman!  don't 
hurt  her!'" 

"  Did  they  overtake  her?"  asked  Grace. 

"Yes,  at  length;  when  a  powerful  savage 
seized  her  by  the  neck  and  dragged  her  back 
ward  to  the  ground  while  several  others  en 
gaged  her  in  front." 

"Oh,  I  hope  they  didn't  kill  her!"  exclaimed 
Grace. 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  45 

"No,"  replied  Mrs.  Travilla;  "she  was  after 
ward  ransomed.  But  to  go  on  with  my  story. 
Presently  the  firing  ceased ;  the  little  band  of 
whites  who  had  escaped  death  succeeded  in 
breaking  through  the  ranks  of  the  assassins — 
who  gave  way  in  front — and  rallied  on  the  flank, 
and  gained  a  slight  eminence  on  the  prairie 
near  a  grove  called  the  Oak  Woods.  The 
Indians  gathered  upon  the  Sand  Hills  and  gave 
signs  of  a  willingness  to  parley.  Two-thirds 
of  the  whites  had  been  killed  or  wounded; 
only  28  strong  men  remained  to  cope  with 
the  fury  of  nearly  500  savages — they  had  lost 
but  15  in  the  conflict.  To  prolong  the  con 
test  would  be  little  better  than  madness. 
Captain  Heald,  accompanied  only  by  a  half- 
breed  boy  in  Mr.  Kinzie's  service,  went  for 
ward  and  met  Black-Bird  on  the  open  prairie 
to  arrange  terms  of  surrender. 

"It  was  agreed  that  all  the  whites  who  had 
survived  the  conflict  should  become  prisoners 
of  war,  to  be  exchanged  as  soon  as  practicable. 
With  this  understanding  captors  and  captives 
all  started  for  the  Indian  camp  near  the  fort. 
On  arriving  there  another  terrible  scene  ensued. 
The  Indians  did  n^u  consider  the  wounded  to 
be  included  in  the  terms  of  surrender,  and 
immediately  proceeded  to  kill  and  scalp  nearly 
all  of  them." 


46  ELSIE'S  JOUENEY. 

"  To  gain  the  bounty  offered  by  that — human, 
or  inhuman  fiend  Proctor !"  exclaimed  Walter. 
"I  wonder  how  he  viewed  that  transaction 
when  he  came  to  die." 

"  I  am  sure  that  in  the  sight  of  God  he  was  a 
wholesale  murderer,"  said  Rosie;  "a  murderer 
not  of  men  only,  but  of  innocent  women  and 
children  also." 

"Yes,"  said  her  mother,  "there  were  twelve 
children  killed,  besides  Captain  Wells,  Surgeon 
Van  Voorhees,  Ensign  Ronan,  and  twenty-six 
private  soldiers. 

"  Toward  evening  the  family  of  Mr.  Kinzie 
were  permitted  to  return  to  their  own  home, 
where  they  found  the  friendly  Black  Partridge 
waiting  for  them.  Mrs.  Helm,  the  daughter  of 
Mrs.  Kinzie,  you  will  remember  was  his  pris 
oner.  He  placed  her  in  the  house  of  a  French 
man  named  Ouilmette.  But  the  Kinzies  and 
all  the  prisoners  were  in  great  danger  from 
a  freshly  arrived  band  of  Pottawatomies  from 
the  Wabash,  who  were  thirsting  for  blood  and 
plunder.  They  thoroughly  searched  Mr.  Kin- 
zie's  house  for  victims;  but  some  friendly 
Indians  arrived  just  in  time  to  prevent  the 
carrying  out  of  their  bloodthirsty  intentions. 
These  were  led  by  a  half-breed  chief  called  Billy 
Caldwell.  Black  Partridge  told  him  of  the 
evident  purpose  of  the  Wabash  Indians,  who 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  41 

bad  blackened  their  faces  and  were  sitting  sul 
lenly  in  Mr.  Kinzie's  parlor,  no  doubt  intend 
ing  presently  to  start  out  and  engage  in  the 
savage  work  they  had  planned.  Billy  went  in 
and  said  in  a  careless  way,  as  he  took  off  hif 
accoutrements:  'How  now,  my  friends!  A 
good-day  to  you!  I  was  told  there  were  ene 
mies  here,  but  I  am  glad  to  find  only  friends. 
Why  have  you  blackened  your  faces?  Is  it  that 
you  are  mourning  for  your  friends  lost  in  battle? 
Or  is  it  that  you  are  fasting?  If  so,  ask  our 
friend  here  (indicating  Mr.  Kinzie)  and  he  will 
give  you  to  eat.  He  is  the  Indians'  friend,  and 
never  yet  refused  them  what  they  had  need  of.' 

"Hearing  all  this  the  Wabash  Indians  were 
ashamed  to  own  what  their  intention  had  been, 
and  so  the  threatened  massacre  did  not  take 
place.  The  prisoners  were  divided  among  the 
captors  and  finally  reunited  or  restored  to  their 
friends  and  families." 

"  But  they  must  have  had  a  great  deal  to  en 
dure  before  that  happy  consummation,"  sighed 
Evelyn.  "  Oh,  I  think  we  can  never  be  thank 
ful  enough  that  we  live  in  these  better  times !" 

"So  do  I,"  said  Grace.  "How  very  dread 
ful  it  must  be  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  savages 
and  meet  with  a  death  so  awful  and  sudden! 
I  wish  I  knew  that  they  were  all  Christians  and 
ready  for  heaven," 


48  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

"I  can  echo  that  wish,"  said  Grandma  Elsie, 
in  tones  full  of  sadness ;  "  but  I  very  much  fear 
that  they  were  not.  Some  we  may  hope  were, 
but  it  is  said,  on  what  seems  good  authority, 
that  Mrs.  Helm,  in  telling  of  that  terrible  scene 
near  the  Sand  Hills,  spoke  of  the  terror  of  Dr. 
Van  Voorhees.  He  had  been  wounded  badly, 
and  his  horse  shot  under  him,  when  he  asked 
her,  'Do  you  think  they  will  take  our  lives?' 
and  then  spoke  of  offering  a  large  ransom  for 
his.  She  advised  him  not  to  think  of  that,  but 
of  inevitable  death.  'Oh,  I  cannot  die!  I  am 
not  fit  to  die!'  he  exclaimed.  'If  I  had  only  a 
short  time  to  prepare  for  it — death  is  awful!' " 

"  'Look  at  that  man !  at  least  he  dies  like  a 
soldier,'  she  said,  pointing  to  Ensign  Ronan. 
'Yes,'  gasped  the  doctor,  'but  he  has  no  terror 
of  the  future — he  is  an  unbeliever. ' 

"Just  then  Mrs.  Helm's  struggle  with  the 
young  Indian  who  attempted  to  tomahawk  her 
began,  and  directly  afterward  she  saw  the  dead 
body  of  Van  Voorhees." 

"Oh,  poor,  poor  fellow!"  exclaimed  Grace, 
tears  starting  to  her  eyes.  "  One  would  think 
that,  in  such  circumstances  as  theirs  had  been 
for  months,  every  man  and  woman  would  have 
been  careful  to  make  sure  work  for  eternity." 

"Yes,  but  Satan  is  ever  tempting  men  to 
delay,  and  perhaps  more  souls  are,  in  Christian 


ON  INLANL    WATERS.  49 

lands,  lost  through  procrastination  than  from 
any  other  cause,"  sighed  Grandma  Elsie. 
"  'Now  is  the  accepted  time;  now  is  the  day  of 
salvation.'" 

There  was  a  moment  of  silence,  broken  by 
Evelyn. 

"  I  remember  when  I  was  a  very  little  girl, 
papa  used  to  talk  to  me  about  being  a  Chris 
tian,  and  that  once  I  answered  him,  'I  would, 
papa,  if  I  only  knew  how,'  and  he  said,  'It  is 
very  simple,  daughter;  just  to  believe  in  the 
Lord  Jesus,  take  him  for  your  Saviour,  and  give 
yourself  to  him — soul  and  body,  time,  talents, 
influence — all  that  you  have  or  ever  shall  have, 
to  be  his  forever,  trusting  in  him  with  all  your 
heart,  sure  that  he  meant  all  that  he  said  in 
speaking  to  Nicodemus — 'God  so  loved  the 
world  that  he  gave  his  only  begotten  Son,  that 
whosoever  belie veth  in  him  should  not  perish, 
but  have  everlasting  life.'  And  that  other, 
*Him  that  cometh  to  me  I  will  in  no  wise  cast 
out.'  Those  two  texts  seem  to  me  to  make  the 
way  very  simple  and  plain." 

"They  do  indeed,"  said  Grandma  Elsie,  "and 
anyone  who  has  the  Bible  and  will  study  it 
faithfully,  with  earnest  prayer  to  God  for  help 
to  understand  and  obey  its  teachings,  can 
hardly  fail  to  find  the  way." 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THB  greater  part  of  the  next  day  was  spent 
by  our  friends  in  a  farewell  visit  to  the  Fair; 
but  the  sun  had  not  yet  set  when  again  they 
all  gathered  upon  the  Dolphin's  deck,  and  she 
weighed  anchor  and  proceeded  on  her  course 
up  the  lake. 

"What  a  wonderful  city  it  is  to  be  so 
young!"  remarked  Mr.  Dinsmore  when  they 
reached  Chicago. 

"Yes,  sir,"  said  Rosie.  "Mamma  was  giv 
ing  us  a  little  sketch  of  its  early  history,  last 
evening;  and  we  found  it  very  interesting;  but 
I  can't  say  that  the  events  here,  or  anywhere 
else,  for  that  matter,  of  the  war  of  1812-14 
have  increased  my  love  for  the  British.  Think 
of  them  hiring  the  Indians  to  kill  men,  women, 
and  children,  paying  just  the  bounty  for  them 
that  they  would  for  so  many  wolf -scalps !" 

"Yes,  it  was  barbarous  indeed;  but  do  not 
forget  that  even  in  the  days  of  the  Revolution 
ihere  were  Britons  who  viewed  such  doings 
with  herror.  In  1777  there  was  a  debate  in  the 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  61 

English  Parliament  concerning  the  employment 
of  Indians  against  the  American  colonists,  when 
a  member  of  the  House  of  Lords  spoke  in 
approval  of  it,  saying  it  was  right  to  use  the 
means  given  them  by  God  and  Nature.  'God 
and  Nature!'  repeated  the  Earl  of  Chatham  in 
scornful  tones.  'Those  abominable  principles 
and  this  most  abominable  avowal  of  them 
demand  most  decisive  indignation.  I  call  upon 
that  right  reverend  bench  (pointing  to  the 
bishops),  those  holy  ministers  of  the  Gospel 
and  pious  pastors  of  the  Church — I  conjure  them 
to  join  in  the  holy  work,  and  to  vindicate  the 
religion  of  their  God.'  That  showed  that  he 
(Chatham)  was  strongly  opposed  to  such  bar 
barity,  but  his  appeal  to  the  bishops  was  vain. 
Every  man  of  them  voted  for  the  employment 
of  the  savages  in  a  war  against  their  brethren, 
who  were  fighting  for  their  freedom  after  years 
of  patient  endurance  of  oppression — years  of 
patient  but  unsuccessful  effort  to  gain  it  by 
peaceful  means." 

"  Yes,  I  have  always  admired  William  Pitt !" 
said  Rosie.  "  But  did  any  of  the  British  people 
disapprove  of  the  employment  of  the  Indians 
in  the  war  of  3812,  grandpa?" 

"I  presume  a  great  many  did,  though  I  do 
not  just  now  remember  any  historical  mentio» 
of  the  fact,"  replied  Mr.  Dinsmore,  "except 


52  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

among  those  whose  business  interests  were  sure 
or  likely  to  suffer,"  he  added  musingly. 

"Those  Sand  Hills  from  behind  which  the 
Pottawatomies  fired  upon  the  whites  are  quite 
gone  now,  are  they  not,  papa?"  asked  Grace. 

"Yes,"  replied  Captain  Raymond,  "the  city 
now  covers  the  entire  theatre  of  the  events  of 
that  dreadful  day.  It  has  been  a  rapid  and 
wonderful  transformation." 

"Don't  you  think,  papa,  it  might  have  been 
saved — I  mean  Fort  Dearborn — if  Captain 
Heald  had  not  been  so  obstinately  determined 
to  do  as  he  thought  best,  regardless  of  the 
opinions  of  his  officers  and  Mr.  Kinzie,  and 
the  warnings  of  friendly  Indians  ? "  asked 
Grace. 

"I  do,  indeed,"  was  the  emphatic  reply. 
"And  that  Mackinack,  which  fell  into  the 
hands  of  the  British  about  a  month  earlier, 
might  have  been  saved  to  our  country  but  for 
the  criminal  neglect  of  the  then  Secretary  of 
War.  Hancks,  who  was  in  command,  did  not 
know,  had  not  heard  of  the  declaration  of  war, 
though  he  might  have  been  informed  of  it 
nearly  a  week  earlier  than  the  news  reached 
the  British  commander  of  Fort  St.  Joseph,  who 
led  the  attack,  and  by  reason  of  the  ignorance 
of  the  garrison  and  its  commander  of  the  true 
state  of  affairs  came  upon  them  so  unexpectedly 


0JT  INLAND   WATERS.  53 

that  they  had  no  opportunity  to  defend  the 
fortress." 

"Oh,  tell  us  the  story  of  it,  papa,  please!" 
pleaded  little  Elsie,  and  drawing  her  to  a  seat 
upon  his  knee,  he  complied  at  once. 

"The  fort  was  built  in  the  first  place  by  the 
French,"  he  said,  "and  taken  from  them  by  the 
English  when  they  conquered  Canada.  The 
Indians  were  not  pleased  with  the  change  and 
said  to  the  English,  'You  have  conquered  the 
French,  but  you  have  not  conquered  us.'  Per 
haps  you  may  remember  what  I  told  you  some 
weeks  ago  about  the  attack  of  the  Indians  upon 
the  people  in  the  fort.  The  Indians  were  play 
ing  ball  outside  the  walls  of  the  fortress,  and, 
pretending  to  be  very  friendly,  invited  the 
garrison  to  view  the  game.  It  was  a  gay  and 
exciting  scene,  and  the  unsuspicious  members 
of  the  garrison  were  looking  on  with  interest, 
forgetting  to  be  on  their  guard  against 
treachery,  when  a  ball  went  up  in  a  lofty  curve 
and  fell  near  the  pickets  of  the  fort. 

"It  was  a  preconcerted  signal;  the  warriors 
instantly  rushed  toward  the  fort,  armed  with 
hatchets  which  their  squaws  had  concealed 
under  their  blankets,  and  the  whites  being 
taken  by  surprise,  a  dreadful  massacre  followed. 

"  The  following  year  the  fort  was  again  gar 
risoned  by  the  English,  the  Indians  fleeing  at 


«4  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

their  approach.  After  the  Revolutionary  War 
— in  1796 — the  island  with  its  fort  came  into 
possession  of  the  United  States,  the  western 
military  posts  being  surrendered  to  the  Ameri 
cans  by  the  British,  and  in  1812  the  fortress, 
then  called  Fort  Holmes,  was  garrisoned  by 
fifty-seven  men  under  the  command  of  Lieu 
tenant  Hancks  of  the  United  States  Artillery. 
As  a  defence  of  the  fur-traders  and  the  scat 
tered  settlements  of  the  Northwest,  it  was  a 
very  important  post.  You  doubtless  remem 
ber  that  it  stands  on  a  bluff  overlooking  the 
harbor." 

"It  is  a  beautiful  place  in  the  summer,"  re 
marked  Grace,  "but  must  be  dreary  enough 
through  the  long  winters." 

"It  is," said  her  father,  "yet  by  no  means  so 
dreary  now  as  it  was  in  those  days,  surrounded 
by  hordes  of  savages  ever  ready  to  raise  the 
hatchet  in  the  pay  of  those  who  seemed  to  be 
the  stronger  party. 

"  Lieutenant  Hancks  and  his  garrison  knew 
that  in  the  event  of  war  they  must  be  prepared 
to  defend  themselves,  but  as  you  have  just 
been  told,  they  were  left  in  uncertainty  for 
nearly  a  week  after  the  news  should  have 
reached  them.  There  had  been  rumors  of 
expected  hostilities  brought  by  traders,  but  the 
first  intimation  that  there  had  been  an  actual 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  55 

declaration  of  war  was  given  by  the  arrival  of 
the  English  Captain  Roberts,  on  the  morning 
of  the  17th  of  July,  with  his  garrison  of  British 
regulars — 46,  including  4  officers — 260  Cana 
dian  militia,  and  715  Indians — Ottawas,  Chip- 
pewas,  Sioux,  Winnebagoes. 

"They  came  in  boats,  bateaux,  canoes,  con 
voyed  by  the  brig  Caledonia,  which  belonged 
to  the  Northwest  Fur  Company  and  was  laden 
with  provisions  and  stores. 

"  On  the  morning  of  the  day  before,  the  Indian 
interpreter  had  told  Hancks  he  had  reliable  in 
formation  that  the  Indians  were  assembling  in 
large  numbers  at  St.  Joseph  and  were  about 
to  attack  Fort  Holmes. 

"  Hancks  had  no  sooner  heard  that  than  he 
summoned  the  American  gentlemen  on  the 
island  to  a  conference  on  the  matter,  at  which 
it  was  decided  to  send  a  messenger  to  St. 
Joseph  to  learn,  if  possible,  the  temper  of  the 
commandant,  and  to  watch  the  movements  of 
the  Indians. 

"Captain  Darman  was  the  man  chosen,  and 
he  set  off  upon  his  errand  about  sunset  that 
same  evening." 

"All  by  himself,  papa,  when  it  was  just  get 
ting  dark,  too?"  asked  Elsie.  "How  could  he 
lee  to  row  his  boat?" 

"A  full  moon  shone  in  the  sky,  daughter,  and 


56  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

lighted  him  on  his  way,"  replied  the  captain. 
"But  he  had  gone  only  fifteen  miles  when  he 
met  the  boats  carrying  the  British  and  Indians, 
and  was  taken  prisoner  by  them." 

"And  did  they  kill  him  and  scalp  him,  papa?" 

"  No ;  they  let  him  go  on  condition  that  he 
would  return  to  the  island  in  advance  of  them, 
call  the  people  together  to  the  west  side  of  it 
to  receive  the  protection  of  a  British  guard  for 
themselves  and  their  property,  and  not  give 
Lieutenant  Hancks  any  information  of  the 
approach  of  the  enemy.  Also  he  was  to  warn 
the  people  that  if  any  of  them  carried  the  news 
to  the  fort  there  would  be  a  general  massacre. 
Darman  was  landed  at  dawn,  and  did  exactly 
as  he  had  promised." 

"Oh,  papa!  and  didn't  anybody  warn  the 
poor  fellows  in  the  fort?" 

"Yes;  a  Dr.  Day,  braver  than  any  of  the 
rest,  hurried  to  the  fort  and  gave  the  alarm 
while  the  others  were  fleeing  from  the  village 
to  escape  from  the  bloodthirsty  savages.  But 
it  was  too  late ;  the  enemy  had  already  landed 
and  taken  one  of  their  two  heavy  guns  to  the 
top  of  the  hill  at  the  back  of  the  fort,  placing  it 
so  as  to  command  the  American  works  at  their 
weakest  point.  By  nine  o'clock  Roberts  had 
possession  of  the  heights,  and  hideously  painted 
savages  were  swarming  everywhere. 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  57 

"At  half -past  eleven  the  Americans  were 
summoned  to  surrender  the  fortress  to  the 
forces  of  his  'Britannic  Majesty. '  Hancks  then 
held  a  consultation  with  his  officers  and  the 
American  gentlemen  in  the  fort,  and  all  agree 
ing  in  the  opinion  that  it  would  be  impossible 
to  defend  it  against  such  overwhelming  numbers 
— over  a  thousand,  while  the  garrison  could 
boast  but  fifty-seven  men  rank  and  file — he 
decided  that  it  was  expedient  to  surrender. 

"  Honorable  terms  were  granted  and  at  noon 
the  American  colors  were  taken  down  and  those 
of  Great  Britain  substituted  in  their  stead. 
The  prisoners  were  all  paroled,  and  those  who 
desired  to  leave  the  island  were  sent  in  a  British 
vessel  to  Detroit." 

"  I  should  hardly  have  supposed  any  Ameri 
can  would  want  to  stay  here  under  British 
rule,"  remarked  Grace. 

"An  order  was  presently  issued  that  all  upon 
the  island  who  would  not  take  the  oath  of  alle 
giance  to  the  British  government  must  leave 
there  within  a  month,"  said  Captain  Raymond. 

"And  they  didn't  let  the  Indians  kill  any 
body,  papa?"  asked  Elsie. 

"No,"  replied  her  father,  "but  it  is  alto 
gether  likely  that  if  there  had  been  any  resist 
ance  many,  if  not  all,  would  have  fallen  vic 
tims  to  the  bloodthirsty  savages,  for  one  of  the 


58  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

British,  who  had  command  of  280  of  the  Indians, 
said  in  a  letter  to  Colonel  Glaus  at  Fort  George, 
'It  was  a  fortunate  circumstance  that  the  fort 
surrendered  without  firing  a  single  gun,  for  ha£ 
they  done  so,  I  firmly  believe  not  a  soul  woulf 
have  been  saved.'" 

"  The  capture  of  Mackinaw  was  a  great  loss  to 
our  country,  was  it  not,  father?"  asked  Lucilla. 

"  Yes,  it  was  indeed,"  responded  the  captain, 
"  a  loss  to  the  fur-trade  of  the  West  and  a  ter 
rible  calamity  to  the  people  of  Detroit  and 
other  Western  pioneers.  It  gave  the  enemy 
command  of  the  upper  lakes  with  all  the  advan 
tages  connected  with  it,  and  exposed  Detroit  to 
fearful  raids  by  the  hostile  Indians." 

"And  all  that  dreadful  state  of  affairs  was 
the  result  of  the  unpardonable  negligence 
of  the  Secretary  of  War!"  she  exclaimed. 
"Really,  I  don't  see  how  he  could  ever  forgive 
himself." 

"No,  nor  do  I,"  said  Rosie,  "especially  when 
afterward  Detroit  too  fell  into  the  hands  of  the 
British;  for  its  fall  was  a  great  assistance  to 
the  British  cause." 

"Yes,"  said  Walter,  "in  more  ways  than  one; 
for  they  got  arms,  ammunition,  and  stores; 
also  it  was  months  before  another  invading 
army  of  Americans  could  be  raised  and  furnished 
with  arms  and  other  necessaries;  and  in  the 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  59 

meantime  the  British  made  their  preparations 
for  further  attacks  upon  us.  They  got  valuable 
stoi-es  at  Mackinaw,  too ;  among  them  seven 
hundred  packages  of  costly  furs.  By  the  way, 
Brother  Lev  is,  was  there  not  an  attempt  made 
by  our  troops,  later  on  in  the  war,  to  repossess 
Mackinaw?" 

"  Yes ;  Mackinaw  was  the  key  to  the  traffic  in 
furs  of  the  Northwest ;  therefore  the  Americans 
were  determined  to  recapture  it,  and  the  British 
fully  as  determined  to  keep  possession  of  it; 
for  which  purpose  they  sent  there  a  considerable 
body  of  troops  consisting  of  regulars,  Canadian 
militia,  and  seamen.  They  took  with  them 
twenty-four  bateaux  loaded  with  ordnance,  and 
found  on  the  island  a  large  body  of  Indians 
waiting  to  join  them  as  allies.  That  was  in 
April,  1814,  and  about  the  same  time  Com 
mander  Arthur  St.  Clair  with  a  little  squadron 
consisting  of  the  Caledonia,  St.  Lawrence, 
Niagara,  Tigress,  and  Scorpion,  started  on  a 
land  and  naval  expedition  to  the  upper  lakes. 
The  land  force,  under  the  command  of  Lieu 
tenant-colonel  Croghan,  the  gallant  defender 
of  Fort  Stephenson,  was  attacked  by  the  Brit 
ish  and  Indians  August  1,  1813." 

"Oh,  yes,  I  remember!"  exclaimed  Walter. 
"What  splendid  work  he  did  there,  though  he 
was  but  twenty-one  years  old !" 


<JO  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

"  The  expedition  left  Detroit  early  in  July,** 
continued  the  captain.  "  I  will  not  go  into  the 
whole  story  of  its  action  at  present ;  sufficient 
to  say  they  arrived  at  Mackinaw  on  the  26th  of 
July.  They  soon  learned  that  the  enemy  was 
very  strong  in  position  and  numbers,  and  it 
was  a  question  between  St.  Clair  and  Croghan 
whether  it  would  be  wise  to  make  an  immediate 
attack.  The  guns  of  the  vessels  could  not 
damage  the  works  because  they  were  so  ele 
vated,  and  they  could  not  carry  the  place  by 
storm. 

"Finally  it  was  decided  that  Croghan  should 
land  on  the  western  side  of  the  island,  under 
cover  of  the  guns  of  the  vessels,  and  try  to 
attack  the  works  in  the  rear.  He  did  so  on  the 
4th  of  August,  landing  without  much  molesta 
tion,  but  was  presently  met  by  the  garrison, 
who  were  strongly  supported  by  the  Indians  in 
the  thickets;  also  a  storm  of  shot  and  shell 
was  poured  upon  them  from  a  battery  of  guns. 
There  was  a  sharp  fight  and  Croghan  was  com 
pelled  to  fall  back  and  return  to  the  ship;  1 
officer  and  12  privates  had  been  killed,  52 
wounded,  and  2  others  were  missing. 

"The  attempt  to  recover  Mackinaw  at  that 
time  had  to  be  given  up,  and  most  of  the  little 
squadron  sailed  for  Detroit.  The  Scorpion  and 
the  Tigress  were  left  behind  to  blockade  the 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  61 

only  route  by  which  provisions  and  other  sup 
plies  could  reach  Mackinaw.  The  two  vessels 
cruised  about  for  some  time  till  the  garrison 
was  threatened  with  starvation  or  surrender  in 
order  to  avert  it;  but  early  in  September  they 
were  both  captured  by  British  and  Indians  sent 
out  from  the  fort.  They  came  in  five  boats  and 
surprised  the  Tigress  first,  when  the  Scorpion 
was  said  to  be  fifteen  miles  away.  She  was  at 
anchor  near  the  shore,  it  was  about  nine  o'clock 
in  the  evening,  intensely  dark,  and  the  enemy 
was  within  fifty  yards  of  the  vessel  when  dis 
covered. 

"  The  Americans  made  a  gallant  defence,  but 
were  overpowered  by  numbers,  there  being  but 
thirty  of  them  beside  the  officers,  and  'about 
one  hundred  of  the  assailants.  Lieutenant 
Bulger,  the  British  commander  of  the  expedi 
tion,  said  in  his  report  of  the  affair  that  the 
defence  of  the  vessel  did  credit  to  her  officers, 
who  were  all  severely  wounded.  They  and  the 
crew  were  all  sent  prisoners  of  war  to  Macki 
naw,  while  Bulger  and  his  men  remained  oa 
board  the  Tigress.  They  kept  her  position 
unchanged  and  her  pennant  flying,  and  when, 
on  the  5th,  the  Scorpion  was  seen  approaching, 
Bulger  ordered  his  men  to  hide. 

"All  this  deceived  the  men  on  the  Scorpion; 
they  thought  the  Tigress  was  still  in  the  hands 


<2  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY. 

of  their  comrades,  and  when  within  two  miles 
anchored  for  the  night.  At  dawn  the  next 
morning  the  British  ran  the  Tigress  down  along 
side  of  her,  the  concealed  soldiers  ran  out  from 
their  hiding-places,  rushed  on  board  the  Scor- 
pion,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  British  flag  was 
floating  over  her." 

"And  the  British  were  very  jubilant  over 
the  capture,  as  I  remember  reading,"  remarked 
Violet. 

"And  not  very  truthful  in  their  report  of  it,n 
added  Walter.  "Leasing  says  Adjutant-Gen 
eral  Baynes  actually  reported  in  a  general  order 
that  the  vessels  had  crews  of  300  each ;  only 
exaggerating  570  in  stating  the  aggregate  of 
the  crews  of  the  two  schooners." 

But  just  here  the  talk  was  interrupted  by 
the  not  unwelcome  summons  to  their  evening 
meal. 


CHAPTER  V. 

As  they  left  the  table  and  gathered  upoii 
deck  on  the  evening  of  the  next  day,  the  cap 
tain  announced  that  they  were  nearing  Mack- 
inaw. 

UI  am  glad  of  that,  papa,"  said  Grace; 
"for  we  shall  have  a  lovely  view  of  it  by  moon 
light." 

"Are  we  going  to  stop  there,  sir?"  asked 
Walter. 

"Not  unless  someone  particularly  desires  it," 
returned  the  captain ;  "  but  we  will  pass  slowly 
and  quite  near,  so  that  we  may  all  have  a  good 
view  of  it.  Ah !  it  can  be  seen  in  the  distance 
now,"  he  added,  pointing  it  out. 

"  And  though  the  sun  has  set  the  moon  wiH, 
as  Gracie  says,  give  us  a  lovely  view  of  it," 
remarked  Violet. 

"Yes,  she  is  nearly  full,"  said  the  captain, 
glancing  skyward,  "which  will  help  us  to  a 
more  vivid  conception  of  how  things  looked  to 
Barman  when  he  set  out  for  Fort  St.  Joseph, 
on  the  16th  of  July,  1812." 

« I'm  glad  of  that,"  said  Lucilla.     "  I  want  to 


€4  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

be  able  to  imagine  just  how  things  looked  at 
that  time." 

"Yes,"  said  Grace,  "but  it  is  far  more  de 
lightful  to  know  that  no  war  is  going  on  now, 
and  we  are  in  no  danger  from  either  civilized 
or  savage  foes." 

"  It  is  indeed !"  responded  her  father.  "  Peace 
is  a  great  blessing;  war  a  dreadful  scourge." 

"  It  is  an  Indian  name  the  island  bears,  is  it 
mot,  captain?"  asked  Evelyn. 

"Yes;  and  the  meaning  is  the  Great  Turtle, 
alluding  to  its  shape.  Notice  that  as  we 
approach,  and  see  if  you  do  not  think  the  name 
appropriate." 

"To  the  tongue  of  which  of  the  Indian 
tribes  does  the  name  belong,  sir?"  asked 
Walter. 

"The  Algonquin." 

"The  harbor  is  considered  a  fine  one,  is  it 
not?" 

"Yes;  it  is  semicircular,  1  mile  long;  tbe 
strait  is  40  miles  long  and  4  miles  wide ;  the 
island  7  miles  in  circumference.  Now  we  are 
near  enough  for  a  good  view." 

"What  makes  it  look  so  white,  papa?" 
queried  little  Elsie. 

"It  is  limestone  rock,  my  child,"  replied  her 
father.  "  See  the  village  down  near  the  water 
and  the  fort  on  higher  ground — the  white  cliffs 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  65 

half  covered  with  green  foliage — beyond  it  the 
ruins  of  old  Fort  Holmes." 

"  The  one  the  British  took  in  that  war  you 
told  about,  papa?" 

"The  very  same,"  he  said.  "I  believe  you 
were  not  by  when  I  pointed  it  out  to  the  others 
on  our  former  visit  to  the  island." 

"No,  sir;  I  think  Neddie  and  I  were  asleep 
in  our  berths." 

"Yes,  so  you  were,"  said  her  mother.  " Ah, 
my  dear,"  to  her  husband,  "  wbat  a  lovely  sight 
it  is  by  this  witching  light!" 

"Yes,"  he  said.  "I  think  we  will  visit  it 
again  one  of  these  days,  when  we  can  spend 
more  time  in  viewing  the  various  interesting 
places — such  as  the  Arch  Rock,  a  natural 
bridge  almost  as  picturesque  as  the  famous  one 
in  Virginia,  the  Rabbit's  Peak,  Giant's  Cause 
way,  and  the  Lover's  Leap.  We  are  passing 
that  last  now ;  and  I  want  you  all  to  notice  a 
projecting  crag  at  the  other  end  of  the  island, 
called  Robinson's  Folly.  These  are  all  famous 
places,  and  each  has  its  legendary  story." 

They  steamed  slowly  past,  greatly  enjoying 
the  moonlight  view  of  the  island;  then,  as  it 
faded  from  sight,  the  speed  of  the  vessel  was 
increased,  and  before  the  older  ones  had  retired 
they  had  entered  Lake  Huron. 

The  pleasant  weather  continued,  and  most  of 


66  ELSIE' 8  JOURNEY 

them  spent  the  greater  part  of  the  following 
day  upon  the  deck. 

"  We  will  reach  Detroit  early  this  evening,  I 
suppose,  Brother  Levia?"  said  Rosie,  in  a  tone 
of  enquiry. 

"Should  nothing  happen  to  prevent,"  was  the 
pleasant-toned  reply.  "  And  now  I  wonder  if 
my  pupils  can  tell  us  most  of  the  history  of  that 
city?" 

"Beginning  with  the  war  of  1812, 1  suppose, 
as  we  have  already  gone  over  the  story  of  the 
doings  of  Pontiac?" 

"Yes;  but  first  I  shall  give  you  a  few  facts 
concerning  its  settlement,  growth,  and  so  forth : 

"It  is  by  far  the  oldest  city  in  the  western 
part  of  our  country,  and  older  than  either 
Philadelphia  or  Baltimore  on  the  seaboard.  It 
•was  founded  by  the  French  in  1670,  as  an  out 
post  for  the  prosecution  of  the  fur-trade  ;  and 
as  late  as  1840  it  still  had  less  than  10,000 
inhabitants.  It  is  on  the  west  side  of  Detroit 
River,  about  7  miles  from  Lake  St.  Clair  and 
18  from  Lake  Erie.  Can  you  tell  me  the 
meaning  of  the  name  Detroit,  Elsie,  daughter?" 

"No,  papa,  you  never  taught  me  that," 
replied  the  little  girl. 

"  It  is  the  French  for  strait,"  he  said.  u  The 
•trait  or  river  connecting  Lakes  St.  Clair  and 
Erie  gave  the  name  to  the  city." 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  67 

"At  the  time  we  are  talking  of — when  Gen 
eral  Hull  was  marching  toward  the  place— 
Detroit  had  only  160  houses  and  a  population  of 
about  800,  most  of  them  of  French  descent.  It 
was  a  very  small  place  considering  its  age,  for 
it  was  a  trading-post  as  early  as  1620,  and 
established  as  a  settlement  as  early  as  1701, 
when  a  Jesuit  missionary  came  there  with  one 
hundred  men.  So  it  was  a  very  old  town 
though  so  small;  but  seven  years  before  there 
had  been  a  fire  that  destroyed  all  the  houses 
but  one." 

**  But  there  was  a  fort,  was  there  not,  papa?" 
asked  Grace. 

"Yes,"  replied  the  captain;  "on  a  hill  back 
of  the  town,  about  250  yards  from  the  river; 
built  by  the  English  after  their  conquest  of 
Canada  more  than  100  years  ago.  It  covered 
about  2  acres  of  ground,  was  quadrangular  in 
shape,  with  bastions  and  barracks.  It  had 
embankments  nearly  20  feet  high,  a  deep,  dry 
ditch,  and  was  surrounded  by  a  double  row  of 
pickets. 

"The  town  too  was  surrounded  by  strong 
pickets  14  feet  high,  with  loopholes  to  shoot 
through.  Those  pickets  had  been  erected  as 
defences  against  the  Indians,  and  were  still  in 
good  condition.  There  were  in  them  four 
strong  gates  on  different  streets." 


68  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

"Then  the  British  couldn't  get  in  to  harm 
the  folks,  could  they,  papa?"  asked  Elsie. 

"They  would  be  able  to,  when  they  had 
finished  the  fortifications  they  had  begun  to 
build  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,"  replied 
the  captain ;  "  so  General  Hull  decided  that  it 
would  be  best  to  cross  at  once  and  drive  them 
away. 

"  It  was  not  easy  to  find  boats  enough  to  take 
his  twenty-two  hundred  men  across,  but  by 
great  exertion  he  succeeded  in  getting  enough 
to  carry  four  hundred  at  a  time,  but  should  the 
British  see  them  crossing  they  would  in  all 
probability  attack  that  small  number  before  the 
others  could  cross  to  take  part  in  the  fight.  So 
Hull  resorted  to  strategy.  Toward  the  evening 
of  the  llth  all  the  boats  were  sent  down  the 
river  in  full  view  of  the  British,  while  at  the 
same  time  Colonel  M'Arthur  with  his  regiment 
inarched  away  in  the  same  direction.  The 
British  were  deceived  and  made  ready  to  dis 
pute  their  passage.  But  after  dark  troops  and 
boats  returned  up  the  river  past  Detroit  to 
Bloody  Bridge,  a  mile  and  a  half  above  the 
town,  and  made  arrangements  to  cross  the  river 
there,  which  they  did." 

"  Why  was  it  called  by  that  dreadful  name — 
Bloody  Bridge,  papa?"  asked  Elsie. 

"Because    the    Indians    in    Pontiac's   time 


ON  INLAND   WATERS,  69 

attacked  and  killed  so  many — fifty-nine — of  the 
English  there.  Do  you  not  remember  my  tell 
ing  you  about  it?" 

"Oh,  yes,  sir,  when  we  went  to  Mackinaw 
before !"  exclaimed  the  little  girl. 

"At  dawn  the  regular  troops  and  the  Ohio 
volunteers  crossed  over  to  the  Canadian  side, 
and  there  hoisted  the  American  flag,"  continued 
the  captain. 

"  But  I  shall  not  now  go  into  all  the  details 
of  the  marching  and  fighting  that  followed — 
how  Hull  changed  his  orders  and  restrained  his 
brave,  patriotic  officers  and  men  from  attacks 
upon  the  enemy  which  they  were  eager  to  make, 
until  they  were  almost  convinced  that  he  was 
either  a  traitor  or  a  coward. 

"He  was  doubtless  too  old  for  the  command 
which  had  been  given  him.  He  had  done  good 
service  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  and  no  doubt 
was  really  a  patriot  still,  but  he  lacked  energy, 
vigilance,  and  decision,  and  was  too  slow  to 
take  advantage  of  the  necessities  and  mistakes 
of  the  foe ;  though  he  might  have  done  much 
better  but  for  the  remissness  of  the  Secretary 
of  War  and  General  Dearborn.  His  mistakes 
and  dilatoriness  bore  very  hard  upon  the  brave 
fellows  under  him,  who  were  burning  with 
patriotic  zeal  for  the  discomfiture  of  the  foe, 
and  he  perceived  that,  though  they  obeyed 


70  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

orders,  there  was  a  mutinous  spirit  among  them 
that  could  scarcely  be  restrained.  Therefore 
he  called  a  council  of  field-officers,  and  by  their 
advice  it  was  agreed  to  march  immediately 
upon  Maiden. 

"  Orders  were  at  once  issued  for  all  the  need 
ful  preparations  and  received  with  universal 
joy  by  the  little  army  of  men  longing  to  defend 
their  country. 

"But  before  these  were  completed,  or  the 
long  summer  day  was  quite  over,  there  came 
another  order  from  the  commanding  general; 
an  order  for  the  army  to  recross  the  river  to 
Detroit — abandoning  Canada  and  its  people  to 
the  vengeance  of  the  British;  leaving  unpro 
tected  its  inhabitants,  who,  trusting  Hull's 
promised  protection,  had  refused  to  take  up 
arms  for  defence  against  the  Americans.  That 
order  was  in  consequence  of  news  which  had 
reached  Hull  that  a  considerable  force  of  British 
regulars,  militia,  and  Indians  were  coming  to 
attack  the  little  army  in  the  rear." 

"Did  our  soldiers  like  to  go  back  without 
fighting  the  British  first,  papa?"  asked  Elsie. 

"No,  my  child,  not  at  all;  but  they  were 
obedient  soldiers,  and  did  as  they  were  ordered 
by  their  commander,  though  sullenly,  feeling 
themselves  humiliated  by  being  compelled  to 
act  like  cowards.  During  that  night  and  the 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  71 

next  morning  they  crossed  the  deep,  dark  river 
and  encamped  on  the  rolling  plain  back  of  Fort 
Detroit. 

"  Not  quite  all  of  them,  however.  Major 
Denny,  with  130  convalescents,  and  a  corps 
of  artillerists,  under  Lieutenant  Anderson,  were 
left  behind  in  a  strong  house  that  had  been 
stockaded  and  called  Fort  Gowris.  Denny  was 
ordered  to  defend  the  post  to  the  last  extremity, 
so  long  as  attacked  with  only  musketry,  but  to 
leave  it  if  powerful  artillery  should  be  brought 
against  it. 

"Hull  and  his  army  were  in  need  of  supplies, 
which  he  knew  were  being  sent  him  under  the 
command  of  Captain  Brush,  who  had  come  as 
far  as  the  River  Raisin,  but  was  detained  there 
by  the  knowledge  that  a  party  of  Indians  under 
Tecumseh,  with  perhaps  some  British  regulars, 
had  crossed  the  Detroit  from  Maiden  and  were 
lying  near  the  mouth  of  the  Huron  River, 
twenty-five  miles  below  Detroit,  for  the  pur 
pose  of  seizing  the  men,  cattle,  provisions,  and 
mail  that  Captain  Brush  had  in  charge. 

"  Brush  had  asked  Hull  to  send  him  an  escort. 
Hull  at  first  flatly  refused ;  but,  after  much  per 
suasion  on  the  part  of  his  officers,  despatched 
Major  Van  Horn  with  a  detachment  of  two 
hundred  men  to  join  Brush  and  help  convoy  the 
cattle,  provisions,  and  mail.  The  major  obeyed 


72  ELSIE'8  JOURNEY 

promptly,  but  was  not  successful;  being  sur 
prised  by  the  Indians,  who  lay  in  ambush  and 
attacked  him  by  the  way.  The  Americans 
fought  gallantly,  but  lost  seventeen  killed  and 
several  wounded. 

"  When  the  news  reached  the  fort  Hull  was 
greatly  disconcerted.  His  officers  urged  him 
to  send  a  larger  force  to  the  aid  of  Brush — as 
many  as  five  hundred;  but  he  refused.  'I  can 
spare  only  one  hundred,'  he  said. 

"That,  as  the  officers  knew,  would  not  be 
enough ;  so,  though  indignant  and  alarmed  for 
the  safety  of  Brush  and  the  needed  stores  he 
was  bringing,  they  had  to  give  up  the  hope  of 
helping  him  for  the  present. 

"But  Hull  perceived  that  his  troops  were 
angry  and  felt  mutinous,  and  it  was  then  he 
called  his  officers  together,  and  after  consulting 
them  gave  the  orders  for  preparations  to  march 
upon  Maiden ;  but,  as  we  have  seen,  before  they 
could  be  carried  out  he  changed  his  mind  and 
ordered  the  army  to  cross  the  river  to  Detroit. 
He  now  felt  the  need  of  securing  the  supplies 
under  Brush  and  ordered  Colonel  Miller  to  take 
six  hundred  men,  go  to  that  officer's  assistance, 
and  escort  him  to  Detroit.  Before  stalling 
upon  their  perilous  expedition  the  troops 
paraded  on  the  north  side  of  Jefferson  Avenue, 
and  there  Colonel  Miller  addressed  them  as 


Off  INLAND   WATERS.  73 

they  stood  in  marching  order.  'Soldiers,'  he 
said,  'we  are  going  to  meet  the  enemy,  and  to 
beat  them.  The  reverse  of  the  5th  (that  was 
Van  Horn's)  must  be  repaired.  The  blood  of 
our  brethren,  spilled  by  the  savages,  must  be 
avenged.  I  will  lead  you.  You  shall  not  dis 
grace  yourselves  or  me.  Every  man  who  shall 
leave  the  ranks  or  fall  back  without  orders  will 
be  instantly  put  to  death.  I  charge  the  officers 
to  execute  this  order.' 

"Then  turning  to  the  veteran  Fourth  Regi 
ment  of  regulars,  he  said,  'My  brave  soldiers, 
you  will  add  another  victory  to  that  of  Tippe- 
canoe — another  laurel  to  that  gained  upon  the 
Wabash  last  fall.  If  there  is  now  any  man 
in  the  ranks  of  the  detachment  who  fears  to 
meet  the  enemy,  let  him  fall  out  and  stay 
behind.' 

"  He  paused,  and  a  loud  huzza  went  up  from 
the  entire  corps,  and  'I'll  not  stay!  I'll  not 
stay!'  came  from  every  lip. 

"Miller  led  them  to  the  River  Rouge  that 
night,  and  they  bivouacked  on  its  southern 
shore,  having  crossed  it  in  two  scows.  Early 
the  next  morning  they  took  up  their  march 
again,  Major  Thompson  Maxwell,  with  his 
spies,  leading  the  way;  next  a  vanguard  of 
forty  men  under  Captain  Snelling  of  the  Fourth 
Regulars,  while  the  infantry  marched  in  two 


74  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

columns,  about  two  hundred  yards  apart,  the 
cavalry  keeping  the  road  in  the  centre  in  double 
file.  The  artillery  followed,  with  flank  guards 
of  riflemen  at  suitable  distances.  Marching  in 
that  order  a  line  of  battle  could  be  formed 
almost  instantly,  but  it  was  slow  and  toilsome 
work  to  move  the  cannon  over  the  marshy 
ground  along  which  their  road  lay. 

"  It  was  Sunday  morning,  the  weather  sultry, 
the  sky  overcast  with  clouds,  not  a  leaf  stirring 
on  the  trees;  in  the  distance  they  could  see  a 
few  fleet  Indians  hurrying  along;  but  nothing 
of  much  consequence  occurred  until  some  time 
in  the  afternoon,  when  they  were  nearing  the 
Indian  village  of  Maguaga,  fourteen  miles 
below  Detroit.  But  there  a  man  named  White, 
who  had  joined  them  as  a  new  recruit,  hurry 
ing  on  ahead  of  the  rest,  was  shot  from  his 
horse  near  the  cabin  of  an  Indian  chief  called 
Walk-in-the-Water,  by  some  Indians  concealed 
behind  it,  and  before  the  vanguard  could  reach 
the  spot  he  was  scalped. 

"  There  were  oak  woods  near  Maguaga,  which 
Captain  Snelling  and  his  regulars  reached 
between  three  and  four  o'clock  in  the  after 
noon.  In  the  meantime  the  flying  savages  the 
Americans  had  seen  that  morning,  and  who 
were  the  scouts  of  Major  Muir,  the  commander 
of  the  Forty-first  British  regiment,  had  carried 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  75 

to  him,  in  his  camp  at  Brownstown,  the  news 
that  the  Americans,  strong  in  numbers,  were 
advancing  upon  them.  There  were  in  that 
camp  100  regulars,  a  good  many  Canadian 
militiamen,  and  between  200  and  300  Indians. 
Lossing  mentions  4  chiefs  of  note  among  those 
— Tecum8eh,Walk-in-the- Water,  Split-log,  and 
Lame-Hand. 

"  These  troops  had  been  sent  over  from  Fort 
Maiden  by  Proctor  to  repeat  their  doings  of 
the  ^5th — when  Van  Horn  was  defeated — cut 
off  communication  between  Detroit  and  Cap 
tain  Brush  at  the  Raisin,  and  get  possession  of 
the  stores  he  was  bringing. 

"As  soon  as  Muir  and  Tecumseh  heard  the 
news  brought  by  the  spies  they  broke  up  their 
camp,  hurried  on  to  Maguaga,  and  formed  an 
ambush  in  the  Oak  Woods,  where  the  trees 
and  bushes  were  thick  enough  to  conceal 
them.  There  they  watched  for  the  coming 
of  the  Americans  and  were  joined  by  a 
fresh  detachment  of  troops  sent  by  General 
Brock. 

"  Snelling  and  his  soldiers  had  just  entered 
the  clearing  when  there  came  first  a  single  shot, 
then  the  terrific  yells  of  the  scores  of  savages, 
followed  by  a  terrible  volley  from  the  whole 
British  line." 

"Oh,    papa!    then    did    our    soldiers  turn 


76  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

round  and  run  back  to  the  others?"  asked 
little  Elsie. 

"No,  ray  child,  they  stood  their  ground  and 
returned  the  fire  like  the  brave  men  and  patriots 
they  were.  Colonel  Miller  heard  the  sounds 
and  he  and  his  men  started  on  the  double  quick, 
came  up,  and  formed  in  battle  order,  and  as  they 
did  so  he  waved  his  sword  high  over  his  head, 
ciying  in  his  clear,  loud  voice,  'Charge,  boys! 
charge!'  His  order  was  instantly,  gallantly, 
and  effectually  obeyed,  Lossing  tells  us,  while 
at  the  same  time  a  six-pounder  poured  in  a 
storm  of  grapeshot  that  harmed  the  foe  not  a 
little. 

"At  the  same  time  the  Michigan  and  Ohio 
volunteers  charged  a  body  of  Indians  at  the  left 
of  the  British  and  near  the  river,  driving  them 
back,  and  causing  them  to  flee ;  and  the  whites 
in  the  ranks  of  the  enemy,  mistaking  them  for 
helpers  of  the  Americans,  fired  upon  them  also, 
and  the  Indians  returned  it.  So  that  our  foes 
were  helping  us  by  fighting  among  themselves, 
and  the  mistake  created  such  confusion  in  the 
British  ranks  that  they  wavered,  broke,  and 
fled,  leaving  Tecumseh  and  his  Indians  to  bear 
the  brunt  of  the  fight. 

"Muir  rallied  his  men,  in  a  good  position, 
but  the  sound  of  firing  in  the  woods  on  their 
left  alarmed  them  again,  BO  that  they  ran 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  77 

away,  got  in  their  boats,  and  fled  across  the 
river  to  Maiden  with  all  possible  expedition. 

"After  a  little  more  fighting  the  Indians  too 
broke,  and  Miller  ordered  Sloan  to  pursue  them. 
But  he  seemed  to  hesitate,  and  Snelling  rush 
ing  up  to  him  gave  him  a  peremptory  order  to 
dismount,  sprang  into  the  saddle  himself,  and 
dashed  away  at  the  head  of  his  troops,  his  red 
hair  streaming  in  the  wind,  for  he  had  lost  his 
hat  in  the  course  of  the  fight.  He  pursued  the 
flying  foe  for  more  than  two  miles ;  then  Lieu 
tenant-colonel  Miller,  realizing  the  danger  of 
an  ambuscade,  and  that  night  was  approaching, 
and  the  wounded  needed  attention,  ordered  a 
suspension  of  the  chase." 

"Ah,  that  was  a  victory!"  exclaimed  Walter; 
"one  that  ought  to  have  encouraged  Hull 
to  defend  Detroit;  it  seems  it  didn't,  though." 

"Were  there  many  killed  in  that  battle, 
papa?"  asked  Grace. 

"Of  the  Americans  18  were  killed  and  57 
wounded,"  replied  the  captain.  "The  British, 
according  to  their  account,  lost  24  of  their 
regulars,  only  1  of  whom  was  killed.  They 
failed  to  mention  how  many  of  the  militia  and 
Indians,  but  our  troops  found  40  of  the  Indians 
dead  on  the  field ;  how  many  of  the  militia,  if 
any,  I  do  not  know. 

"Miller  was  anxious  to  follow  up  his  advan- 


78  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

tage,  to  press  on  to  the  assistance  of  Captain 
Brush  and  the  getting  of  his  stores  to  Detroit; 
so  sent  a  messenger  to  Hull  to  carry  the  news 
of  his  successful  fight  with  the  enemy  and  ask 
for  a  supply  of  provisions. 

"In  response  Hull  sent  Colonel  M' Arthur 
with  100  men  and  600  rations,  ordering  him  to 
go  down  the  river  in  boats  to  the  relief  of 
Miller  and  his  men.  M' Arthur,  who  seems  to 
have  been  always  ready  and  prompt,  set  out  a 
little  past  two  in  the  morning,  in  nine  boats, 
and  in  the  darkness  and  rain  passed  the  Brit 
ish  vessels  Queen  Charlotte  and  Hunter,  and 
reached  his  destination  in  safety. 

"  Then  the  wounded  were  at  once  carried  to 
the  boats  to  be  taken  to  Detroit.  But  it  was 
now  daylight,  and  it  was  found  impossible  to 
pass  the  British  vessels.  Fortun  ately  M'  Arthur 
had  foreseen  that  difficulty,  and  ordered  wagons 
sent  down,  and  now  leaving  the  boats  he  had 
the  wounded  carried  through  the  woods  to  the 
road,  placed  in  the  wagons,  and  so  taken  the 
rest  of  the  way  to  their  destination." 

"But  what  did  he  do  with  the  boats,  papa?" 
asked  Elsie. 

"The  British  took  them,"  replied  her  father. 
"Colonel  Cass  had  gone  down  and  tried  to 
secure  them,  but  the  enemy  had  already  got 
possession. 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  79 

"  Miller  had  been  thrown  from  his  horse  dur 
ing  the  fight,  and  was  too  much  injured  to  press 
on  immediately  to  the  River  Raisin.  He  sent 
a  messenger  to  Hull,  and  Cass  met  him  on  his 
way.  He  knew  that  time  was  precious,  that 
Proctor  would  be  likely  to  send  a  larger  force 
to  prevent  our  men  from  reaching  Brush,  and 
attack  him  himself.  Therefore  Cass  wanted 
to  take  Miller's  place  and  hurry  on  with  the 
detachment  to  Brush's  assistance,  so  he  sent  a 
laconic  despatch  to  General  Hull:  'Sir,  Colonel 
Miller  is  sick;  may  I  relieve  him? — L.  CASS.* 
No  reply  came,  and  he  returned  to  Detroit, 
meeting  on  the  way  an  express  taking  positive 
orders  to  Miller  for  him  and  his  troops  to  return 
to  headquarters. 

"Miller  and  his  men  were  only  twenty -two 
miles  from  the  Raisin,  and  were  sorely  disap 
pointed  by  this  order,  but  obeyed  it,  leaving 
their  camp  at  noon  on  the  day  after  the  battle, 
and  going  slowly  back  to  Detroit." 

"Oh,  I  do  think  that  was  too  bad!"  ex 
claimed  Lucilla.  "  I  don't  think  I  could  have 
obeyed  such  a  man  as  Hull." 

"It  would  have  been  even  worse  than  render 
ing  obedience  to  Captain  Raymond  has  some 
times  proved,  eh?"  her  father  said,  with  a 
humorous  look  and  smile. 

"Oh,  ten  thousand  times,  papa,  dear!"  she 


80  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY. 

answered  earnestly.  "Haven't  you  found  out 
that  for  years  it  has  been — almost  always  just 
a  pleasure  to  me  to  obey  you  ?" 

"It  is  long  since  I  have  felt  at  all  doubtful  of 
that,  daughter,"  he  returned,  in  tender  tones. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

FOB  a  moment  Captain  Raymond  seemed 
Jost  in  thought.  It  was  a  question  from  his 
daughter  Elsie  that  caused  him  to  resume  the 
thread  of  his  narrative. 

"Papa,"  she  asked,  "had  the  British  got 
their  guns  all  ready  to  fire  at  the  Americana 
when  Colonel  Miller  and  his  men  got  back  to 
Detroit?  and  did  they  begin  at  once?" 

"No;  the  British  were  still  busy  with  their 
preparations,  with  which  General  Hull  did  not 
seem  disposed  to  interfere ;  and  it  was  hard  in 
deed  for  his  brave,  patriotic  officers  to  obey  his 
orders  to  refrain  from  doing  so.  They  began 
to  think  he  was  either  a  traitor  or  an  imbecile, 
and  by  no  means  fit  to  have  the  command. 
They  consulted  together,  and  concluded  that 
salvation  for  the  little  army  could  be  secured 
only  by  depriving  him  of  the  command  and 
giving  it  to  another.  Miller  was  asked  to  take 
it,  but  declined  and  proposed  M' Arthur,  who 
was  the  senior  officer  of  the  volunteers  and  one 
of  the  most  vigilant,  active,  and  energetic  mea 
in  the  service. 

"But  when  it  came   to  carrying  out  their 


82  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

plans  they  hesitated  to  take  so  bold  a  step. 
Relief  might  come  soon  from  Ohio,  Governor 
Meigs  accompany  it  in  person,  and  then  the 
honor  could  be  properly  tendered  him.  Colonel 
Cass  acted  promptly  upon  that  suggestion, 
writing  to  the  governor  a  very  strong  and 
urgent  appeal  for  help  to  be  forwarded  with  all 
haste ;  telling  him  that  the  army  was  in  a  very 
critical  situation  'from  causes  not  fit  to  be  put 
on  paper' ;  that  Maiden  might  easily  have  been 
reduced,  but  the  golden  opportunity  had  been 
allowed  to  pass  unimproved.  He  asked  for,  at 
least,  two  thousand  men,  and  that  the  governor 
would  accompany  them. 

"But  before  this  letter  had  been  shown  to 
the  other  officers  the  British  were  collecting  in 
force  at  Sandwich,  and  Cass  added  a  postcript. 
'Since  the  other  side  of  this  letter  was  written, 
new  circumstances  have  arisen.  The  British 
force  is  opposite,  and  our  situation  had  nearly 
reached  its  crisis.  Believe  all  the  bearer  will 
tell  you.  Believe  it,  however  it  may  astonish 
you,  as  much  as  if  told  by  one  of  us.  Even  a 

c is  talked  of  by  e .  The  bearer  will 

supply  the  vacancy.  On  you  we  depend. '  The 
first  blank  meant  a  capitulation,  the  second 
commanding  general. " 

"But  why  didn't  he  say  what  he  meant, 
papa?"  asked  Elsie. 


ON  INLAN&   WATERS.  83 

"  Because  there  was  danger  of  the  letter  fall 
ing  into  the  hands  of  the  wrong  person.  It 
was  signed  by  Cass,  Finley,  M<  Arthur,  Taylor, 
and  Colonel  Elijah  Brush,  of  the  Michigan 
militia." 

"Was  Major  Denny  still  on  the  Canadian 
side,  captain?"  asked  Evelyn. 

"No;  he  had  evacuated  Fort  Gowris  and 
crossed  the  river  to  Detroit.  On  his  doing  so 
the  British  under  Captain  Dixon  of  the  Royal 
Engineers  immediately  took  possession  and 
planted  a  battery  so  as  to  command  Detroit. 
The  American  artillery  begged  leave  from 
Hull  to  open  upon  them  from  the  fort  with 
twenty-four  pounders,  but  were  forbidden,  and 
the  enemy  was  allowed  to  go  on  unmolested 
with  his  preparations  to  fii'e  upon  Detroit," 

"Well!"  exclaimed  Lucilla,  "I'm  sure  that 
looked  as  if  he  was  in  league  with  his  country's 
foes;  unless  he  had  lost  his  reason." 

"Yes,"  said  her  father,  "yet  I  do  not  doubt 
his  patriotism  or  his  intention  to  do  what  he 
deemed  best  under  the  circumstances;  but  he 
was  timid,  and  as  I  have  said  before,  did  not 
receive  the  help  and  encouragement  he  had  a 
right  to  expect  from  the  Secretary  of  War  or 
General  Dearborn,  who  failed  to  inform  him  of 
the  armistice,  which  would  have  enabled  him  to 
wait  for  the  arrival  of  needed  provisions  and 


84  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

reinforcements.  And  he  was  too  honest  himself 
to  suspect  the  deceptions  the  British  practised 
upon  him — dressing  raw  militiamen  in  uniform 
and  mixing  them  in  with  their  regulars,  send 
ing  a  letter  to  be  intercepted  by  him,  threaten 
ing  a  descent  of  five  thousand  Indians  from 
Mackinaw.  But  I  think  he  owed  it  to  the 
officers  under  him  to  consult  with  them ;  which 
he  did  not  do." 

"Had  the  British  got  Captain  Brush  with 
the  soldiers  and  provisions,  papa?"  asked  Elsie. 

"No,  he  was  still  in  the  same  place,  waiting 
for  reinforcements  to  enable  him  to  reach 
Detroit;  and  on  the  14th  Hull  sent  him  word 
that  he  could  not  spare  a  large  enough  detach 
ment  to  escort  him,  and  that  he  might  either 
stay  where  he  was  till  further  orders,  or  take  a 
roundabout  course  to  avoid  the  enemy.  But 
after  the  men  had  gone  with  the  letter  Hull 
again  changed  his  mind  and  sent  M'Arthur 
and  Cass  with  350  men  to  escort  Brush,  who  was 
supposed  to  be  not  more  than  12  miles  away. 

"They  took  a  circuitous  route,  got  entangled 
in  a  swamp,  and  could  not  go  on.  They  were 
without  provisions,  tired  and  hungry,  and  were 
just  preparing  to  bivouac  for  the  night — for 
the  evening  twilight  was  fading  away — when 
a  courier  came  with  an  order  from  Hull  for 
them  to  return  immediately  to  Detroit.  They 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  85 

obeyed  and  arrived  there  about  ten  o'clock  the 
next  morning. 

"At  a  little  past  noon  of  that  day  General 
Brock  sent  two  of  his  officers  with  a  flaar  to 

O 

bear  a  summons  to  General  Hull  for  the  uncon 
ditional  surrender  of  the  post.  'The  force  at 
my  disposal,'  he  said,  'authorizes  me  to  require 
of  you  the  surrender  of  Detroit.  It  is  far  from 
my  inclination  to  join  in  a  war  of  extermina 
tion,  but  you  must  be  aware  that  the  numerous 
body  of  Indians  who  have  attached  themselves 
to  my  troops  will  be  beyond  my  control  the 
moment  the  contest  commences.' " 

"And  Hull  meekly  surrendered  without  any 
more  ado?"  said  Lucilla,  in  a  tone  between 
assertion  and  enquiry. 

"No,  not  yet,"  replied  her  father.  "Poor 
man!  really  patriotic  and  proud,  he  no  doubt 
felt  sorely  tried  and  humiliated  at  the  very 
thought  of  surrender  to  his  country's  foes;  at 
the  same  time,  being  ignorant  of  the  armistice 
and  not  knowing  when  succor  would  arrive, 
having  only  a  thousand  men  in  fighting  condi 
tion,  his  force  wasting  with  disease,  disappoint 
ment,  and  death,  it  seemed  to  him  very  uncer 
tain  whether  he  could  keep  the  foe  at  bay  till 
help  would  come;  but  his  troops  were  eager  to 
measure  strength  with  the  enemy,  and  confident 
in  their  ability  to  do  so  successfully. 


86  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

"So  difficult  did  Hull  find  it  to  decide  what 
was  the  best  and  wisest  course  of  conduct  that 
he  kept  the  flag  waiting  two  hours;  but  at  last 
he  said  to  Brock's  messengers  that  he  had  no 
other  reply  to  make  than  that  he  was  ready  to 
meet  any  force  at  his  disposal,  and  any  conse 
quence  that  might  result. 

"His  own  troops  were  greatly  pleased  when 
they  learned  what  his  answer  to  Brock  had 
been.  They  watched  the  return  of  the  flag,  and 
when  it  reached  the  Canadian  shore  the  bearers 
were  startled  by  a  loud  huzza  from  the  Ameri 
can  fort  and  camp.  Our  brave  soldiers  believed 
and  rejoiced  in  the  thought  that  the  time  for 
action  had  come,  or  was  near  at  hand;  they 
were  confident  of  victory,  and  at  once  set 
about  the  most  active  preparations  for  the 
fight. 

"  Jesup,  serving  as  adjutant-general  to  Hull, 
rode  down  to  Spring  Wells  to  reconnoitre  the 
enemy  at  Sandwich.  He  saw  that  the  British 
vessel,  Queen  Charlotte,  had  taken  such  a 
position  that  she  could  cover  the  landing  of  the 
enemy  there  with  her  guns.  He  thought  a 
battery  might  be  used  to  drive  her  away,  so 
selecting  a  suitable  spot  for  it,  he  hastened 
back  to  Detroit,  told  Hull  what  he  proposed  to 
do,  and  asked  him  to  send  down  a  twenty- 
pounder. 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  87 

"Hull  refused  and  Jesup  rode  back  to  the 
spot  he  wished  to  defend,  to  find  Snelling  there 
with  a  few  men  and  a  six-pounder,  occupying 
the  very  place  he  had  selected.  By  the  way,  it 
is  said  that  Snelling  was  to  have  been  married 
that  evening  to  a  daughter  of  Colonel  Thomas 
Hunt,  and  that  when  about  to  leave  the  fort  for 
Spring  Wells,  he  asked  of  Hull,  'If  I  drive  the 
redcoats  back,  may  I  return  and  be  married?" 
and  that  General  Hull  consented,  and  the  mar 
riage  took  place  that  same  evening. 

"When  Detroit  was  surrendered  Snelling 
refused  to  raise  the  white  flag,  and  when 
marched  as  a  prisoner  through  the  streets  of 
Montreal,  being  ordered  by  a  British  officer 
to  take  off  his  cap  to  Nelson's  monument,  he 
refused  and  kept  it  on  in  spite  of  the  efforts  of 
the  soldiers  to  enforce  the  order,  and  finally 
General  Brock  ordered  them  to  respect  the 
scruples  of  a  brave  man." 

"I  respect  and  like  Brock  for  that,"  said 
Walter.  "He  was  a  far  better,  braver,  nobler 
man  than  Proctor." 

"He  was  indeed!"  assented  the  captain. 
"Cruelty  and  cowardice  usually  go  hand  in 
hand,  and  they  were  both  prominent  traits  in 
Proctor's  character.  But  to  return.  Both 
Snelling  and  Jesup,  perceiving  that  the  greater 
part  of  the  British  force  was  at  Sandwich, 


88  ELSIE '8  JOURNEY 

hastened  back  to  Hull,  and,  reporting  that  fact 
to  him,  Jesup  asked  for  150  men  to  go  over  and 
spike  the  enemy's  guns  opposite  Detroit.  Hull 
said  he  could  not  spare  so  many.  'Give  me  one 
hundred,  then,'  entreated  Jesup.  'Only  one 
hundred,'  added  Snelling  imploringly.  Hull 
only  replied  that  he  would  consider  it,  and 
then  took  refuge  in  the  fort ;  for  at  four  o'clock 
the  British  battery,  whose  guns  Snelling  and 
Jesup  had  proposed  to  spike,  began  firing 
shot  and  shell  upon  the  fort,  the  town,  and 
the  camp.  Then  all  the  troops  except  Finley's 
regiment,  which  was  stationed  three  hundred 
yards  northwest  of  the  fort,  were  ordered 
within  the  walls,  crowding  it  far  too  much 
for  comfort." 

The  captain  paused,  and  Grandma  Elsie  re 
marked  that  she  remembered  reading  of  some 
interesting  occurrences  given  by  Lossing  in 
notes  to  his  history  of  the  attack  upon  Detroit 
and  its  fort. 

"One  was  that  during  the  evening  a  large 
shell  fell  upon  the  roof  of  a  private  dwelling, 
two  stories  high,  and  coming  down  through  the 
roof  and  upper  floor,  fell  upon  the  table  around 
which  the  family  were  sitting,  then  through  to 
the  cellar,  and  they  had  just  time  to  fly  from 
the  house  when  the  shell  exploded,  tearing  it  to 
pieces." 


ON  INLAND    WATERS.  89 

"That  was  a  very  narrow  escape  for  them," 
remarked  Violet. 

"Please  tell  us  some  more,  grandma,"  begged 
Neddie,  and  Grandma  Elsie  kindly  continued. 

"  There  was  a  battery  commanded  by  a  brave 
soldier — Lieutenant  Daliba,"  she  said.  "He 
stood  on  the  ramparts  during  the  cannonade, 
and  when  he  saw  the  smoke  or  flash  of  the 
enemy's  cannon  he  would  call  out  to  his  men, 
'Down!'  and  they  would  drop  behind  the  para 
pet  until  the  ball  had  struck. 

"  Near  the  battery  was  a  large  pear-tree  which 
was  somewhat  in  the  way,  and  Colonel  Mack, 
of  the  Michigan  militia,  ordered  a  young  vol 
unteer  named  John  Miller  to  cut  it  down.  He 
made  haste  to  obey,  seizing  an  axe  and  falling 
vigorously  to  work;  but  when  he  had  cut  about 
halfway  through  the  trunk  one  of  the  enemy's 
balls  struck  it  and  nearly  finished  the  work. 
The  young  man  turned  coolly  toward  the 
British  and  called  out,  'Send  us  another,  John 
Bull;  you  can  cut  faster  than  I  can.'  " 

"Was  the  British  soldier  that  fired  it  named 
John  Bull?"  queried  Neddie. 

"Why,  that's  what  we  call  Englishmen, 
don't  you  know?"  said  his  sister  Elsie.  "And 
we  are  all  Brother  Jonathans.  Aren't  we, 
papa?" 

"That's  what  they   call  us,"   returned  her 


90  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

father,  with  a  smile,  "  and  though  not  a  very  eu 
phonious  name,  I,  for  one,  prefer  it  to  John  Bull.** 

"So  do  I,"  she  said. 

"But  Jonathan's  a  boy's  name,"  objected 
Ned  sturdily.  "Men  and  boys  can  be  Jona 
thans,  but  women  and  girls  can't." 

"Well,  I  don't  want  to  be,"  said  Elsie.  "It 
isn't  a  pretty  name;  but  John  Bull's  worse. 
Grandma,  haven't  you  another  little  story  to 
tell  us?" 

"One  more,  which  I  found  in  Lossing's 
book,"  replied  Grandma  Elsie  pleasantly.  "  He 
says  it  is  related  that  while  cannonading  was 
going  on,  the  shot  striking  thick  and  fast 
around  the  fort,  a  negro  was  seen  on  its  roof. 
He  stood  near  a  chimney,  watching  the  firing  of 
the  British  on  the  other  side  of  the  river,  and 
whenever  he  saw  the  smoke  of  a  cannon  would 
spring  behind  the  chimney  till  the  shot  had 
struck,  then  peep  out  again. 

"At  length  one  struck  the  top  of  the  chimney 
just  over  his  head,  tore  it  to  pieces,  and  cov 
ered  him  with  brick  and  mortar.  He  jumped 
aside,  shaking  himself  free,  as  well  as  he  might, 
from  the  dust  and  rubbish,  and  exclaiming: 
'What  de  debble  you  doin'  up  dar?'  then  has 
tened  away  to  find  a  safer  spot." 

"Wasn't  that  a  bad,  swearing  word,  grand 
ma?"  queried  Ned. 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  91 

"It  was  not  a  nice  word,"  she  answered.  "I 
should  be  sorry  indeed  to  hear  it  used  by  my 
sons  or  grandsons." 

"My  papa  never  says  such  words,  nor  Maxie, 
nor  any  of  my  relations,  and  I  don't  mean  ever, 
ever  to  say  them,"  said  the  little  fellow,  looking 
up  into  his  father's  face. 

"  No,  my  son,  I  trust  you  never  shall,"  re 
turned  the  captain  gravely,  laying  a  hand  affec 
tionately  on  the  child's  head. 

"Please  tell  the  rest,  papa,"  pleaded  little 
Elsie,  and  her  father  resumed  the  thread  of  his 
narrative. 

"The  British  kept  up  their  bombardment 
until  near  midnight,  our  men  returning  it  with 
great  spirit  and  disabling  two  of  the  enemy's 
guns.  About  twilight  someone  proposed  that 
as  the  fort  did  not  command  the  river,  a  strong 
battery  should  be  placed  near  the  margin  of  the 
river  and  used  in  destroying  the  foe  when  they 
attempted  to  land.  A  suitable  place  for  the 
purpose  was  chosen,  but  Hull  utterly  refused  to 
allow  the  plan  to  be  carried  out ;  and  in  the 
early  twilight  of  the  next  morning — a  beautiful 
Sunday  morning — they  were  allowed  to  cross 
without  the  least  attempt  being  made  to  hinder 
them. 

"Six  hundred  Indians,  commanded  by  two 
British  colonels  and  Tecumseh,  had  crossed  the 


92  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

night  before  and  taken  position  in  the  Broods 
to  attack  the  Americans  in  flank  and  rear  should 
they  attempt  to  hinder  the  landing  of  the  Brit 
ish  regulars  and  militia,  770  strong  with  5 
pieces  of  light  artillery. 

"They  all  breakfasted,  then  moved  upon  the 
fort — the  whites  in  a  single  column,  their  left 
flank  covered  by  the  Indians,  a  mile  and  a  half 
distant  in  the  woods;  their  right  resting  on 
the  Detroit  River,  defended  by  the  Queen 
Charlotte. 

"  Colonel  Miller,  with  the  Fourth  Regiment, 
was  now  in  the  fort;  the  Ohio  volunteers  with 
part  of  the  Michigan  militia  were  posted  be 
hind  the  town  palisades,  to  annoy  the  enemy's 
whole  left  flank.  The  rest  of  the  militia  were 
stationed  in  the  upper  part  of  the  town  to  keep 
back  the  Indians,  who  had  joined  the  British  in 
order  to  be  permitted  to  plunder  and  kill  the 
American  whites. 

"  Our  men  were  waiting,  watching  the  cau 
tiously  approaching  foe,  eager  to  fire  upon  them 
the  moment  they  were  in  the  best  position  to 
receive  the  most  destructive  onslaught — for 
wives,  children,  and  feeble  aged  ones  were  in 
danger  of  becoming  victims  to  their  inhuman 
thirst  for  blood  and  plunder,  and  that  foe  had 
reached  a  point  within  five  hundred  yards  of 
their  line  when  there  came  a  peremptory  com« 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  93 

mand  from  General  Hull  for  them  to  retreat 
within  the  fort. 

"The  soldiers  were  very  angry  but  obeyed, 
while  the  enemy  drew  nearer  and  prepared  to 
storm  the  fort.  The  shot  were  coming  thick 
and  fast  now  from  the  Canadian  shore.  A  ball 
came  bounding  over  the  wall  of  the  fort  and 
struck  a  group  standing  before  one  of  the  offi 
cer's  quarters,  killing  two  officers  and  a  sur 
geon  and  badly  wounding  another.  The  next 
moment  two  other  soldiers  on  the  inside  of  the 
fort  and  two  on  the  outside  were  killed. 

"There  were  women  and  children  in  the 
house  where  the  officers  were  killed,  among 
them  General  Hull's  daughter  and  her  children. 
Some  of  the  women  were  bespattered  with  the 
blood  of  the  slain,  and  almost  paralyzed  with 
fear;  some  were  carried  senseless  to  the  bomb 
proof  vault  for  safety. 

"The  general  saw  the  effect  of  the  ball  from 
a  distance,  and  did  not  know  whether  his  own 
child  was  killed  or  not. 

"Just  then  an  officer  of  the  Michigan  militia 
in  the  town  came  to  ask  if  they  alone  were  to 
defend  it,  as  he  had  seen  the  approach  of  the 
enemy  without  a  gun  being  fired  from  the  fort 
or  the  twenty-four  pounders  outside;  also  to 
inform  Hull  that  the  Indians  were  at  the  tan- 
yard,  close  upon  the  town.  Hull  did  not 


94  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

answer  his  queries,  but  stepped  into  a  room  in 
the  barracks,  hastily  wrote  a  note,  and  handing 
it  to  his  son,  Captain  Hull,  directed  him  to  dis 
play  a  white  flag  immediately  from  the  walls 
of  the  fort,  where  it  might  be  seen  by  the  Brit 
ish  Captain  Dixon,  over  the  river. 

"  The  order  was  promptly  obeyed.  The  flag 
was  a  tablecloth.  By  order  of  General  Hull  it 
was  waved  from  one  of  the  bastions  by  Captain 
Burton,  of  the  Fourth  Regiment. 

"  The  firing  soon  ceased,  and  in  a  few  minutes 
Captain  Hull  was  seen  leaving  the  fort  with  a 
flag  of  truce.  At  the  same  time  a  boat  was 
despatched  across  the  river  to  Captain  Dixon, 
commander  of  the  battery  on  the  Canada  shore. 

"  General  Hull  was  acting  without  consulta 
tion  with  any  of  his  officers,  and  no  one  knew 
what  were  his  intentions,  but  the  sight  of  the 
white  flag  upon  the  walls  awakened  painful 
suspicions,  and  presently  the  arrival  of  two 
British  officers,  Colonel  M'Donell  and  Major 
Glegg,  made  it  evident  that  the  garrison  was 
betrayed. 

"Hull  had  acted  entirely  on  his  own  respon 
sibility,  consulting  no  one,  and  this  quick  sur 
render,  without  a  single  shot  having  been  fired 
upon  the  enemy,  or  an  effort  made  to  stay  his 
course,  was  almost  as  unexpected  and  unwel 
come  to  the  brave,  patriotic  men  under  him  as 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  95 

a  thunderbolt  out  of  a  clear  sky.  So  angnr 
and  indignant  were  they  that  for  a  moment 
nothing  but  reverence  for  gray  hairs  and  venera 
tion  for  a  soldier  of  the  Revolution,  who  had 
served  his  country  well  in  that  war,  saved  him 
from  personal  violence  at  their  hands ;  it  is  said 
that  many  of  them  shed  tears  of  mortification 
and  disappointment. 

"The  terms  of  capitulation  were  soon  settled, 
and  Hull  issued  a  general  order  to  his  troops, 
stating  that  with  pain  and  anxiety  he  announced 
to  the  Northwest  Army  that  a  sense  of  duty 
had  compelled  him  to  agree  to  articles  of 
capitulation  which  he  then  enumerated. 

"  You  will  remember  that  he  had  sent  Colonels 
M' Arthur  and  Cass  toward  the  River  Raisin, 
then  ordered  them  back;  they  were  coming, 
but  had  not  yet  arrived ;  he  sent  a  messenger  to 
meet  them,  with  a  note  to  M' Arthur  informing 
him  of  the  surrender,  and  that  he  and  his  com 
mand  were  included  in  it,  as  prisoners  of  war. 
They  had  drawn  near  enough  to  Detroit  to  see 
the  white  flags  that  had  silenced  the  British 
cannon,  reaching  there  thoroughly  exhausted 
with  marching  and  hunger — for  Hull  had  sent 
them  off  without  provisions  and  failed  to  keep 
his  promise  to  send  some  after  them ;  so  that 
for  forty-eight  hours  they  had  nothing  to  eat 
but  some  green  pumpkins  and  potatoes  they 


96  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

had  found  in  the  fields.  As  they  went  and 
came  they  had  been  observing  the  enemy,  tak 
ing  note  of  his  numbers  and  movements,  and 
concluded  that  they  might  easily  capture  him 
by  falling  upon  his  rear  while  the  army  at 
Detroit  attacked  him  in  front.  But  what  did 
the  silence  mean?  The  armies  were  within 
half  cannon  shot  of  each  other,  but  there  was 
no  firing;  both  seemed  silent  as  the  grave,  from 
where  these  listeners  stood.  Had  there  been 
any  evidence  of  fighting,  M'Artbur  would  have 
fallen  upon  the  rear  of  the  foe,  without  waiting 
for  orders. 

"But  Hull's  courier  was  seen  approaching, 
and  in  a  few  moments  more  these  patriots  heard 
the  almost  unbearable  tidings  that  Hull  had 
given  them  up  to  the  foe  without  an  effort  at 
self-defence. 

"M'Arthur  tried  to  communicate  with  Hull, 
but  failed.  He  sent  Hull's  note  to  Captain 
Brush,  with  a  message  from  himself,  'By  the 
within  letter  you  will  see  that  the  army  under 
General  Hull  has  been  surrendered.  By  the 
articles  you  will  see  that  provision  has  been 
made  for  your  command;  you  will,  therefore, 
I  hope,  return  to  Ohio  with  us.' 

"Lossing  tells  us  in  a  note  that  Captain 
Elliott,  the  son  of  Colonel  Elliott,  with  a  French 
man  and  Wyandot  Indian,  arrived  at  Brush's 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  97 

camp  on  the  Raisin,  bearing  a  flag  of  truce, 
a  copy  of  the  capitulation  at  Detroit,  and 
authority  to  receive  the  surrender  of  Brush  and 
his  men. 

"A  lieutenant,  the  officer  of  the  day,  blind 
folded  Elliott  and  led  him  to  the  block-house. 
Brush,  when  informed  of  Elliott's  arrival  and  on 
what  errand,  doubting  his  authority,  had  him 
arrested  and  placed  in  confinement.  On  read 
ing  M' Arthur's  letter,  however,  he  learned  hia 
mistake;  but  instead  of  releasing  Elliott  at  once 
and  complying  with  Hull's  order,  he  hastily 
packed  up  the  public  property  at  the  Raisin, 
and  with  his  whole  command  and  his  cattle, 
started  for  Ohio,  leaving  orders  that  Elliott 
should  be  kept  in  confinement  until  the  next 
day.  Elliott  was  very  angry,  and  sent  for 
Tecumseh  to  pursue  Brush;  but  it  was  too 
late." 

"Did  M'Arthur  do  that  way  too,  papa?" 
asked  little  Elsie. 

"No;  when  on  the  evening  of  the  17th 
Colonel  Elliott  came  with  authority  from  Brock 
to  receive  tokens  of  the  submission  of  M' Ar 
thur's  detachment*,  the  dark  eyes  of  that  officer 
flashed  with  indignation,  then  filled  with  tears 
of  mortification;  he  thrust  his  sword  into  the 
ground  and  broke  it  to  pieces,  then  tore  his 
epaulets  from  his  shoulders.  But  having  in 


98  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

that  way  relieved  his  feelings,  he  became  calm 
and  dignified,  while  in  the  dim  twilight,  Cass 
and  their  whole  detachment  were  marched 
into  the  fort  and  stacked  their  arms." 

"Oh,  how  hard  it  must  have  been  for 
M' Arthur,  and  all  of  them,  indeed !"  exclaimed 
Lucilla. 

"Were  they  shut  up  in  jail,  papa?"  asked 
Elsie. 

"The  volunteers  and  militia  with  some  of  the 
regular  officers,  not  of  high  rank,  were  paroled 
and  allowed  to  go  home,"  replied  her  father. 
"  Those  belonging  to  Michigan  were  discharged 
right  there,  the  Ohioans  sent  in  a  vessel  to 
Cleveland,  and  there  relieved  from  British  con 
trol.  General  Hull  and  the  regulars  were  held 
as  prisoners  of  war  and  sent  to  Montreal." 

"But  that  wasn't  the  worst  for  poor  General 
Hull,  was  it,  papa?"  said  Grace.  "The  blame 
he  got  from  the  whole  country,  and  being  tried 
for  cowardice,  condemned  to  be  shot,  and  all  the 
rest  of  it,  I  should  think,  must  have  been  far 
worse.  Do  you  think  he  was  really  a  coward 
and  so  very  much  to  blame,  papa?" 

"No,"  replied  her  father;  "he  was  perhaps 
weak,  but  neither  wicked  nor  cowardly;  he 
was  very  cautious,  prudent,  and  anxious  to 
»ave  the  women,  children,  and  aged  men  in  the 
fort  from  falling  into  the  hands  of  the  blood- 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  99 

thirsty,  tomahawking,  scalping  savages.  Had 
he  known  of  the  armistice  and  that  provisions 
and  ammunition  were  coming,  and  had  Dear 
born  and  the  Secretary  of  War  done  their  duty, 
the  result  might  have  been  very  different.  As 
it  was,  he  was  made  the  scapegoat  for  all." 

"Poor  man!  I  feel  sorry  for  him,"  sighed 
Grace. 

"As  I  do,"  said  her  father.  "I  have  no 
doubt  he  did  what  he  believed  to  be  his  duty 
as  a  humane  and  Christian  man.  In  parting  at 
Detroit  with  one  of  his  aids  he  said  to  him, 
'God  bless  you,  my  young  friend!  You  return 
to  your  family  without  a  stain ;  as  for  myself, 
I  have  sacrificed  a  reputation  dearer  to  me  than 
life,  but  I  have  saved  the  inhabitants  of  Detroit, 
and  my  heart  approves  the  act.'  In  his  de 
spatch  to  the  Secretary  of  War  he  generously 
said,  'I  well  know  the  responsibility  of  the 
measure,  and  take  the  whole  of  it  on  myself.' 
And  after  alluding  to  Mc  Arthur,  Finley,  Miller, 
and  Cass  in  commendatory  terms,  he  adds,  'If 
aught  has  taken  place  during  the  campaign 
which  is  honorable  to  the  army,  these  officers 
are  entitled  to  a  large  share  of  it.  If  the  last 
act  should  be  disapproved,  no  part  of  the  cen 
sure  belongs  to  them. ' ' 

"That  was  noble  and  generous!"  exclaimed 
Evelyn,  with  warmth,  "and  it  was  shameful, 


100  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

shameful  that  all  the  blame  was  put  upon  him 
when  Dearborn  and  the  Government  were  really 
BO  very  much  more  deserving  of  it." 

"Yes,"  said  Grandma  Elsie,  in  her  own  sweet, 
gentle  tones,  "  and  he  bore  it  in  such  a  patient, 
Christian  spirit;  confident  that  his  countrymen 
would  some  day  understand  and  do  him  justice. 
I  have  read  that  on  his  deathbed  he  was  asked 
whether  he  still  believed  he  had  done  right  in 
surrendering  Detroit,  and  he  answered  that  he 
did  and  was  thankful  he  bad  been  enabled  to 
do  it." 

"I  suppose,"  said  Evelyn,  "it  was  a  great 
mistake,  but  he  acted  as  he  deemed  best  for 
others  and  that  at  a  great  sacrifice  of  himself; 
so  I  think  he  was  a  noble,  generous  man, 
worthy  of  all  honor,  and  I  am  very  glad  he  was 
not  made  to  suffer  death,  though  I  am  not  sure 
that  what  he  had  to  bear  was  not  worse." 

"Yes,"  exclaimed  Walter,  "and  how  I  de 
spise  those  mean  fellows  who  put  all  the  blame 
on  him  when  they  themselves  deserved  a  great 
deal  more  of  it  than  he !" 

"How  long  did  the  British  keep  possession 
of  Detroit,  papa?"  asked  Grace. 

"Until  Perry's  victory  on  Lake  Erie  restored 
it  to  the  Americans." 

"Oh,  that  was  a  grand  victory!"  exclaimed 
Lucilla,  with  enthusiasm. 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  101 

"Yes;  the  navy  did  well  in  that  war,"  the 
captain  said,  with  a  smile  and  a  sparkle  in  his 
eye.  "I  have  always  felt  a  patriotic  pride  in 
the  achievements  of  Perry,  McDonough,  and 
Isaac  Hull.  The  first  two  were  earnest  Chris 
tian  men  and  gave  all  the  glory  to  God.  I  do 
not  know,  but  hope  the  gallant  Hull  was  a 
Christian  also." 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE  Dolphin  reached  Detroit  that  evening, 
did  not  stop,  but  slowly  passed  the  city,  which 
extends  six  or  seven  miles  along  the  river,  then 
'on  down  the  stream,  the  captain  pointing  out 
/historical  scenes,  now  on  this  side  now  on  that. 

They  were  already  on  Lake  Erie  before  the 
older  ones  retired  for  the  night,  passed  Put-In- 
Bay  and  discussed  with  interest  Perry's  victory 
of  September  10,  1813,  though,  as  all  were 
familiar  with  the  details  of  the  famous  contest 
and  triumph  for  the  little  American  navy,  the 
story  was  not  repeated. 

"How  many  islands  are  there  in  the  group, 
papa?"  Grace  asked,  as  they  neared  them ;  "  and 
to  which  State  do  they  belong?" 

"There  are  ten,"  he  said,  "and  they  are  a 
part  of  Ottawa  township,  Ohio.  The  group 
takes  its  name  from  the  largest  one,  which  con 
tains  about  two  thousand  acres.  You  can  see 
there  is  a  beautiful  bay  on  this  north  side :  that 
is  Put-In-Bay — it  is  what  gives  the  name  to  the 
island  and  is  celebrated  as  the  place  where  Cap 
tain  Perry  with  his  little  United  States  fleet 
loe 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  103 

on  Lake  Erie,  in  the  last  war  with  Great 
Britain,  of  which  we  have  been  talking  so  much 
in  the  last  few  days,  waited  for  the  coming  of 
her  fleet,  and  whence  he  sailed  out  to  meet  and 
conquer  it. 

"  It  required  great  address  and  vigilance  to 
make  his  little  squadron  ready  and  get  it  into  the 
lake,  but  spite  of  illness,  head  winds,  and  being 
narrowly  watched  by  the  foe,  he  got  safely  out 
upon  the  lake  just  as  the  British  squadron  hov« 
in  sight." 

"Perry  had  difficulty  in  getting  his  vessels 
over  the  bar,  had  he  not,  sir?"  asked  Walter. 

"Yes;  it  was  done  by  the  use  of  camels;  a 
very  difficult  operation." 

"Camels,  papa?"  exclaimed  Grace,  with  a 
puzzled  look. 

"  Yes,  daughter;  not  the  camels  of  the  desert, 
however,"  returned  the  captain,  giving  her  a 
slightly  amused  smile. 

"  Nautical  camels  are  hollow  cases  of  wood, 
made  in  two  halves,  so  as  to  embrace  the  keel 
.and  lay  hold  of  the  hull  of  a  ship  on  both  sides. 
Those  cases  are  first  filled  with  water  and  sunk, 
in  order  to  be  fixed  on.  The  water  is  then 
pumped  out,  and  while  that  is  being  done  the 
vessel  gradually  rises;  and  that  process  is 
Continued  till  at  length  it  passes  over  the 
•hoal." 


104  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

"Perry  must  certainly  have  been  a  very  per 
severing  and  energetic  man,"  remarked  Mrs. 
Travilla. 

"He  certainly  was  all  that  and  more,"  re 
turned  the  captain;  "a  brave,  patriotic,  Chris 
tian  man.  It  has  been  truly  said  that  the  cour 
age  with  which  the  Lawrence  was  defended 
has  been  hardly,  if  ever,  surpassed;  and  that 
his  real  claim  to  fame  rests  less  on  his  actual 
victory  than  on  the  pluck,  energy,  and  readiness 
to  adapt  himself  to  circumstances,  which  he 
showed  in  the  preparation  of  the  two  brigs  and 
getting  them  and  the  other  vessels  out  in  the 
lake,  collecting  sailors,  etc.  But  it  is  singular 
that  the  American  public  have  always  made  so 
much  more  of  his  victory  over  an  inferior  force, 
than  of  McDonough's  on  Lake  Champlain, 
which  was  won  against  decided  odds  in  vessels, 
men,  and  metal." 

"Oh,  papa!"  cried  Lucilla,  in  a  slightly 
reproachful  tone,  "you  are  really  the  last  per 
son  I  should  have  expected  to  try  to  belittle 
Perry's  hard-won  victory." 

"My  child,  I  am  not  doing  that,"  returned 
her  father  in  gentle,  reproving  accents.  "I 
would  not  have  Perry's  fame  lessened,  but 
McDonough's  increased." 

"Excuse  me,  papa  dear,  I  might  have  known 
that,"  she  responded  penitently. 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  105 

"  What  is  the  name  of  that  little  island  lying 
at  the  mouth  of  the  bay,  captain?"  queried 
Evelyn. 

"Gibraltar,"  he  replied;  "it  is  picturesque 
and  rocky,  and  on  it  stands  the  monument 
commemorating  the  victory  and  its  heroes." 

"I  should  like  to  visit  the  island  one  of  these 
days,"  said  Grace. 

"I  hope  to  give  you  that  pleasure  at  some 
future  time,"  her  father  said;  "but  now  it  is 
growing  so  late  in  the  season  that  we  must 
hasten  on  our  way  if  we  would  make  even  a 
flying  visit  to  other  and  more  interesting  and 
important  points.  The  islands  are  worth  visit 
ing;  the  scenery  is  lovely,  and  there  is  excel 
lent  boating,  also  fishing,  in  the  clear,  shallow 
waters  of  the  bay  and  lake." 

"All  that  sounds  quite  appetizing,"  said 
Voilet.  "I  think  we  might  be  able  to  pass 
some  days  or  weeks  there  very  delightfully 
when  not  hurried  for  time." 

"  There  are  a  great  many  fine  grapes  raised 
here,  are  there  not?"  asked  Evelyn. 

"Yes;  grape  growing  and  wine  making  are 
the  principal  industries;  the  climate  and  soil 
being  better  suited  to  them  than  is  any  other 
in  the  Union;  or  rather,  I  should  say,  on  the 
Atlantic  slope.  Another  item  of  interest  is  a 
cave  of  considerable  dimensions." 


106  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

"Papa,"  asked  Grace,  "how  long  did  that 
battle  of  Lake  Erie  last?" 

"  Three  hours  and  a  quarter.  It  was  a  san 
guinary  fight,  ending  in  a  splendid  victory  for 
Perry,  who  was  about  twenty-seven  years  old, 
and  had  never  before  borne  part  in  a  navai 
engagement." 

"Yes,  it  was  sanguinary;  the  carnage  was 
terrible,"  said  Mr.  Dinsmore.  "  What  harrow 
ing  scenes  there  must  have  been!" 

"Some  comical  ones,  too,"  remarked  Walter, 
with  a  chuckle.  "  I  have  read  somewhere  that 
Perry's  first  lieutenant,  Yarnall,  came  to  him 
during  the  fight  and  told  him  that  all  the 
officers  of  the  first  division  were  either  killed 
or  wounded.  I  don't  know  that  he  mentioned 
himself  among  them,  but  it  was  very  evident 
that  he  had  been  hurt,  for  his  face  was  covered 
with  blood  from  a  wound  in  his  forehead,  his 
nose  dreadfully  swollen  by  a  blow  from  a 
splinter,  and  there  was  another  wound  in  his 
neck." 

"  He  must  have  been  a  brave  and  persevering 
fellow  to  go  on  fighting  with  all  those  hurts," 
said  Grace.  "But  what  was  it  he  wanted  of 
Perry?" 

"More  men  to  help  with  his  part  of  the 
fight ;  and  Perry  let  him  have  them.  But  soon 
he  came  back  on  the  same  errand,  and  that  time 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  107 

Perry  had  to  refuse.  *You  must  make  out  by 
yourself;  I  have  no  more  to  furnish  you,'  he 
said.  And  now  he  could  not  help  smiling  at 
Yarnall's  appearance,  for  in  addition  to  his 
swelled  nose  and  the  blood  on  his  face  he  was 
covered  with  cattails  from  the  hammock  mat 
tresses  that  had  been  struck  and  torn  by  the 
enemy's  balls;  they  were  sticking  all  over  his 
face  and  gave  him  much  the  aspect  of  a  great 
owl.  When  he  went  below  after  the  fight  was 
over,  even  the  wounded  men  had  to  laugh  at  his 
comical  and  hideous  appearance." 

"I  remember  reading  of  the  narrow  escape 
that  fell  to  the  lot  of  the  second  lieutenant," 
said  Rosie,  when  Walter  had  finished  his  little 
anecdote,  "  he  was  standing  close  beside  Perry, 
fighting  his  division,  when  a  grape-shot  struck 
him  in  the  breast,  and  he  fell.  Perry  lifted 
him  up,  and  as  there  was  no  wound  to  be  seen, 
told  him  to  rally,  for  he  could  not  be  hurt.  He 
was  only  stunned  into  momentary  unconscious 
ness,  and  when  able  to  speak,  said,  pulling  out 
the  shot,  which  had  lodged  in  his  waistcoat, 
'No,  sir!  I'm  not  hurt,  but  this  is  my  shot.' " 

"Yes,"  said  Captain  Raymond,  "more  than 
one  man  was  shot  and  killed  while  speaking  to 
Perry.  One  was  the  captain  of  the  gun  whose 
tackle  had  been  shot  away.  Perry  stepped 
nearer  to  him  to  see  what  was  the  matter.  'I 


108  ELSIE'S  JOURNET 

can  fire,  sir,'  the  sailor  said,  and  was  in  the 
very  act  of  doing  so  when  a  twenty-four-pound 
shot  struck  him,  passed  through  his  body,  and 
he  fell  dead  at  Perry's  feet." 

"But  Perry  escaped  unwounded,  though 
freely  exposing  himself  to  danger  when  neces 
sary  for  the  performance  of  duty,"  remarked 
Grandma  Elsie.  "  I  have  read  that  he  said  that 
he  believed  his  wife's  prayers  had  saved  him; 
I  have  no  doubt  that  his  mother's  helped  him, 
for  I  have  read  that  she  was  a  Christian  woman, 
and  had  brought  him  up  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord. 
His  young  brother  too — only  twelve  years  old — 
escaped  wonderfully,  shots  passing  through  his 
clothes  and  hat,  a  hammock  torn  from  its 
fastenings  by  a  ball  knocking  him  down,  and 
yet  no  wound  being  made." 

"Lieutenant  John  Brooks,  a  handsome  young 
fellow,  was  another  officer  shot  while  speaking 
to  Perry,"  said  Captain  Raymond,  "struck  in 
the  thigh  by  a  cannon  ball  that  drove  him  some 
distance.  It  was  a  terribly  painful  wound,  so 
that  he  shrieked  with  agony,  and  besought 
Perry  to  shoot  him  dead.  Perry  ordered  him 
carried  below,  and  while  that  was  being  done 
a  mulatto  boy,  his  servant,  rolled  on  the  deck, 
crying  out  that  his  master  was  killed.  He 
had  been  acting  as  powder  boy,  and  being 
ordered  to  return  to  his  duty  did  so  with  the 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  109 

tears  rolling  down  his  cheeks  all  the  time  at 
the  thought  of  his  master's  suffering!" 

There  was  a  moment  of  silence,  broken  by 
Grace. 

"Oh,  what  a  dreadful  thing  war  is!"  she 
sighed.  "  I  hope  we  will  never  have  another. 
I  think  nothing  could  be  worse." 

"How  about  submission  to  despotism, 
Gracie?"  asked  Walter.  "What  sort  of  con 
dition  would  this  country  be  in  now  had  not 
our  ancestors  waged  those  two  wars  with  Great 
Britain?" 

"Oh,  yes!  they  were  right  on  the  side  of 
America,  dreadful  as  they  were,"  she  acknowl 
edged,  "  the  choice  being  between  fighting  for 
freedom  or  enduring  unbearable  oppression." 

"That  is  true,"  he  said;  "better  death  than 
slavery;  and  had  we  tamely  submitted,  instead 
of  resisting  as  we  did,  we  could  never  have 
become  the  strong,  free  people  that  we  are." 

"And  we  may  well,  even  yet,  thank  God  for 
Perry's  victory,"  said  the  captain ;  "  it  led  to 
the  immediate  evacuation  of  Detroit  and  the 
release  of  the  whole  of  Michigan  Territory  from 
British  sway,  with  all  the  horrors  of  Indian 
atrocities,  murder,  scalping,  and  fire.  Also  it 
wiped  away  the  disgrace  of  Hull's  ignominious 
surrender  of  Detroit,  strengthened  the  hands 
of  the  Government,  and  gave  great  encourage- 


110  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

ment  to  General  Harrison  and  his  brave  and 
patriotic  soldiers;  indeed,  to  all  who  were 
fighting  for  our  country  on  both  land  and  sea. 
Harrison  had  completed  his  arrangements  for 
invading  Canada,  and  Perry's  vessels  were  used 
in  carrying  his  army  there.  That  is,  the 
Niagara  and  the  lighter  vessels  of  both 
squadrons. 

"  One  of  the  measures  Harrison  had  taken  for 
raising  the  needed  complement  of  troops  had 
been  a  call  upon  Governor  Shelby  of  Kentucky, 
for  fifteen  hundred  men,  accompanied  by  the 
generous  offer  to  yield  the  chief  command  to 
him,  Shelby  to  be  the  guiding  head  and  Harri 
son  himself  the  hand. 

"Shelby  was  one  of  those  who  had  battled 
for  his  country  in  the  days  of  the  Revolution; 
one  of  the  leaders  of  the  militia  who  defeated 
the  banded  Tories  under  Major  Ferguson  on 
King's  Mountain,  South  Carolina,  on  the  7th 
of  October,  1781.  His  valor  was  conspicuous 
on  that  occasion,  and  he  had  since  been  famil 
iarly  styled  Old  King's  Mountain." 

"A  very  old  man  in  1813,  I  suppose,"  said 
Grace. 

**  Sixty-three,"  replied  her  father.  "  In  these 
days  we  would  hardly  consider  a  man  of  that 
age  extremely  old,  though  certainly  not  young. 
Young  enough,  however,  for  Harrison's  invita* 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  Ill 

tion  to  rouse  his  martial  spirit  to  such  an 
extent  that  he  resolved  to  lead,  instead  of  send 
ing  his  men  against  the  enemies  of  his  country. 
He  called  for  mounted  volunteers  to  assemble 
at  Newport,  opposite  Cincinnati,  at  the  close  of 
July,  promising  to  meet  them  there  in  person, 
lead  them  to  the  field  of  battle,  and  share  with 
them  the  dangers  and  honors  of  the  campaign. 

"  That  call  seemed  to  electrify  the  people  of 
Kentucky.  Young  men  and  veterans  vied  with 
each  other  in  enthusiasm,  exchanging  urgent 
calls  to  rally  to  the  defence  of  their  country,  for 
Old  King's  Mountain  would  certainly  lead 
them  to  victory.  Twice  the  required  number 
of  men  flocked  to  his  standard,  and,  including 
Colonel  R.  M.  Johnson's  troop,  he  led  3500 
in  the  direction  of  Lake  Erie. 

"  On  the  12th  of  September  he  reached  Upper 
Sandusky,  from  there  he  pushed  forward  with 
his  staff,  and  on  the  way  heard  the  glad  tidings 
of  Perry's  victory.  He  despatched  a  courier 
with  the  news  to  Major-General  Henry,  whom  he 
had  left  in  command  of  his  troops,  bidding  him 
hasten  forward  with  them. 

"They,  and  the  whole  country  as  well,  were 
greatly  inspirited,  filled  with  joy  and  exulta 
tion  by  the  glad  tidings;  for  that  victory  re 
lieved  the  whole  region  of  the  most  gloomy 
forebodings  of  evil,  leading,  as  it  did,  to  the 


112  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

destruction  of  the  Indian  confederacy,  which, 
in  conjunction  with  the  British  military  power, 
had  been  the  cause  of  so  much  awful  suffering 
and  loss  to  men,  women,  and  children  suffering 
by  fire,  sword,  tomahawk,  and  scalping  knife, 
and  removing  the  stigma  of  the  surrender  of 
Detroit. 

"  That  victory  was  one  of  the  most  important 
events  of  the  war,  opening  the  way  for  Harri 
son's  army  to  penetrate  into  Canada  and  to  our 
repossession  of  the  territory  of  Michigan.  Also 
removing  all  doubts  of  the  ability  of  the  Ameri' 
cans  to  maintain  the  mastery  of  the  great  lakes. 

"  A  poet  of  the  time  concluded  an  epic  with 
these  lines: 

44  *  And  though  Britons  may  brag  of  their  ruling  the 

ocean, 

And  that  sort  of  thing,  by  the  Lord  I've  a  notion — 
I'll  bet  all  I'm  worth,  who  takes  it  ? — who  takes  ? 
Though  they're  lords  of  the  sea,  we'll  be  lords  of  the 
lakes.' 

"Well,  to  go  on  with  my  story,  by  the  16th 
the  whole  army  of  the  Northwest,  except  the 
troops  garrisoning  Fort  Meigs  and  minor  posts, 
were  on  the  borders  of  Lake  Erie.  Shelby 
arrived  there  on  the  14th,  only  a  few  minutes 
before  a  part  of  Perry's  squadron  came  in, 
bringing  three  hundred  British  prisoners.  A 
few  days  later  they  Avere  marched  to  Chilli- 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  ll'6 

cothe  and  Franklinton,  escorted  by  a  guard  of 
Kentucky  militia. 

"And  now  Harrison  made  preparations  to 
embark  his  army.  Colonel  Johnson  was 
directed  to  remain  at  Fort  Meigs  with  his 
mounted  regiment  till  the  expedition  should 
sail,  then  march  toward  Detroit,  keeping  as 
nearly  as  possible  abreast  of  the  army  on  the 
transports,  and  General  M'Arthur,  at  that  time 
in  command  of  Fort  Meigs,  was  directed  to 
embark  artillery,  provisions,  and  stores  from 
that  post,  and  march  the  regulars  there,  with 
Clay's  Kentuckians,  to  the  Portage. 

"It  was  on  a  delightful  day,  the  20th  of 
September,  that  the  army  embarked.  On  the 
24th  they  rendezvoused  on  Put-in-Bay  Island, 
and  the  next  day  were  on  the  Middle  Sisters, 
five  thousand  men  encamping  on  its  six  or  seven 
acres." 

"A  good  many  horses  besides,  I  presume," 
remarked  Walter. 

"No,"  said  the  captain,  "the  Kentuckians  left 
their  horses  on  the  peninsula  and  were  acting 
as  infantry. 

"On  that  day  General  Harrison  and  Perry 
sailed  in  the  Ariel  to  reconnoitre  the  enemy  at 
Maiden.  They  were  entirely  successful,  and 
returned  at  sunset.  An  order  was  issued  that 
evening,  giving  directions  for  the  embarking 


114  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

of  the  troop,  stating  the  place  and  manner  of 
landing,  the  order  of  march,  the  attack  upon 
the  enemy,  and  other  particulars. 

"The  order,  signed  by  General  E.  P.  Gaines, 
exhorted  his  brave  troops  to  remember  that  they 
•were  the  sons  of  sires  whose  fame  was  immor 
tal;  that  they  were  to  fight  for  the  rights  of 
their  insulted  country,  while  their  opponents 
would  combat  for  the  unjust  pretensions  of  a 
master.  'Kentuckians,'  he  said,  'remember  the 
River  Raisin,  but  remember  it  only  while  vic 
tory  is  suspended.  The  revenge  of  a  soldier 
cannot  be  satisfied  upon  a  fallen  enemy.' 

"It  was  on  a  lovely  autumnal  day,  September 
27,  that  the  expedition  finally  set  sail,  in  six 
teen  armed  vessels  and  almost  one  hundred 
boats.  They  were  all  in  motion  at  nine  o'clock, 
going  northward  toward  the  hostile  shore,  and 
then  Harrison's  stirring  address  was  read  to  the 
men  on  each  vessel.  At  its  conclusion  there 
went  up  a  hearty  shout  for  'Harrison  and 
Tictory';  then  all  moved  on  silently  into  the 
Detroit  River.  Lossing  tells  us  the  spectacle 
was  beautiful  and  sublime. 

"The  landing  place  selected  by  Harrison  and 
Perry  was  Hartley's  Point,  opposite  the  lower 
end  of  Bois  Blanc  Island,  and  three  or  four 
£riles  below  Maiden.  A  low,  sandy  beach 
Stretched  out  in  front  of  high  sand  drifts, 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  115 

behind  which  the  enemy  were  supposed  to  be 
lying  in  wait,  and  our  troops  landed  in  battle 
order — Kentucky  volunteers  on  the  right, 
regulars  on  the  left,  Ball's  Legion  and  the 
friendly  Indians  in  the  centre. 

"But  no  enemy  was  there.  The  cowardly 
Proctor,  in  spite  of  the  indignant  remonstrances 
of  Tecumseh,  had  fled  northward  with  his  army 
and  all  he  could  take  with  him;  leaving  Fort 
Maiden,  the  storehouses,  and  navy  buildings 
smoking  ruins.  Beside  that,  he  had  seized  all 
the  horses  of  the  people  of  the  neighborhood  to 
help  him  in  his  flight." 

*The  poor  people!  poor,  abused  creatures!" 
exclaimed  Grace,  adding,  "and  probably  they 
were  much  frightened  lest  the  Americans 
should  treat  them  still  worse." 

"If  so,  their  fears  were  soon  relieved," 
replied  her  father;  "for  as  our  troops  drew 
near  the  town,  Governor  Shelby  in  advance, 
they  were  met  by  a  troop  of  modest,  well- 
dressed  women,  who  came  to  implore  mercy 
and  protection.  The  kind-hearted  general  soon 
calmed  their  fears. 

"The  army  moved  on  and  entered  Maiden 
with  the  band  playing  'Yankee  Doodle. '  They 
learned  that  the  enemy's  rear  guard  had  not 
been  gone  an  hour,  and  Colonel  Ball  at  once 
sent  an  officer  and  twenty  men  of  his  cavalry 


116  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

after  them  to  prevent  the  destruction  of  a 
bridge  over  the  Tarontee.  They  were  just  in 
time  to  save  it,  driving  the  incendiaries  off 
with  a  single  volley. 

"The  next  morning  Harrison  crossed  it  with 
all  his  army,  excepting  a  regiment  of  riflemen 
left  at  Amherstburg.  At  two  o'clock  on  the 
29th  they  entered  Sandwich,  and  the  American 
flotilla  reached  Detroit,  which,  you  will  re 
member,  is  opposite,  on  the  western  side  of  the 
river  of  the  same  name.  The  next  day  Colonel 
Johnson  and  his  mounted  regiment  arrived 
there." 

"  Were  not  the  British  still  in  possession  of 
Detroit,  papa?"  asked  Lucilla. 

"No;  M' Arthur,  with  seven  hundred  effec 
tive  men,  had  crossed  over  shortly  before  and 
retaken  the  town,  driving  off  a  body  of  Indians 
who  were  hovering  about  it.  Also  General 
Harrison  had,  to  the  great  joy  of  the  inhabi 
tants,  declared  Proctor's  proclamation  of  mar 
tial  law  null  and  void,  and  the  civil  govern 
ment  of  Michigan  restored. 

"  On  Johnson's  arrival  he  received  an  order 
from  Harrison  to  cross  the  river  at  once  with 
his  troops,  as  he  (Harrison)  was  resolved  to 
push  on  after  the  enemy  as  rapidly  as  possible. 
There  were  two  roads,  either  of  which  might 
be  taken  in  the  pursuit — by  land  in  the  rear  of 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  117 

the  British,  or  by  Lake  Erie  to  Long  Point,  and 
thence  across  the  country.  Harrison  called 
a  council  of  his  general  officers  to  consider  the 
question,  and  it  was  decided  to  take  the  land 
route. 

"It  was  said  that  Proctor  was  encamped 
near  Chatham  on  the  Thames;  so  that  was  the 
place  for  which  the  whole  army  of  the  Ameri 
cans,  except  M'Arthur's  brigade,  left  at 
Detroit,  and  Ball's  and  Cass',leftat  Sandwich, 
marched  on  the  morning  of  October  2. 

"Two  days  before  that  Perry  had  learned 
that  some  small  vessels  carrying  the  artillery 
and  baggage  of  the  British  had  gone  up  Lake 
St.  Clair  toward  the  Thames.  He  sent  some  of 
his  vessels  in  pursuit,  followed  them  in  the 
Ariel,  accompanied  by  the  Caledonia,  and  on 
the  day  that  Harrison  left  Sandwich  the  whole 
of  the  little  squadron  appeared  off  the  mouth 
of  the  Thames  with  the  provisions,  baggage, 
and  amumnition  wagons  of  the  American 
army." 

"Had  he  taken  the  enemy's  vessels?"  asked 
Evelyn. 

"No,"  replied  the  captain;  "they  had  too 
much  the  start  of  his,  and  escaped  up  the 
Thames.  It  is  said  that  when  the  army  reached 
the  mouth  of  that  river  an  eagle  was  seen  hov 
ering  above  it;  and  that  Harriscn  remarked  to 


118  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

those  about  him  that  it  was  a  presage  of  suc 
cess,  and  Perry,  who  had  landed  and  was  with 
the  general,  added  the  information  that  an 
eagle  was  seen  hovering  over  his  little  squad 
ron  on  the  morning  of  the  10th  of  September." 

"The  day  when  he  fought  his  naval  battle," 
remarked  Grace.  "Don't  you  suppose,  papa, 
this  eagle  may  have  been  the  very  same?" 

"I  think  it  quite  likely,"  was  the  reply. 

"And  it  reminds  me  of  the  young  gamecock 
that  flew  upon  a  gun-slide  on  the  Saratoga, 
McDonough's  flagship,  early  in  the  naval  battle 
of  Plattsburg,  clapped  his  wings  and  crowed 
so  lustily  and  defiantly,"  said  Walter. 

"And  me  of  'Old  Abe,'  the  eagle  present  in 
so  many  battles  of  the  Civil  War,"  said  his 
sister  Rose.  "But  please  go  on  with  your 
Story  of  the  battle  of  the  Thames." 

"Togo  back  to  the  morning  of  October  2, 
when  Harrison  and  his  troops  left  Sandwich," 
continued  the  captain.  "We  are  told  that 
they  pushed  on  rapidly  for  20  miles  along  the 
border  of  the  lake,  there  came  upon  7  British 
deserters  who  told  the  general  that  Proctor, 
with  700  white  men  and  1200  Indians  was  en 
camped  at  Dolsen's  farm,  about  15  miles  from 
the  mouth  of  the  Thames,  on  its  northern 
bank,  and  56  miles  from  Detroit  by  water. 
This  news  roused  the  Americans  to  still  greater 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  US 

exertions,  and  when  they  halted  for  a  night's 
rest  they  had  marched  25  miles  from  Sandwich, 
their  starting  point. 

"The  pursuit  was  renewed  the  next  morning 
at  dawn,  and  near  the  mouth  of  the  Thames 
Johnson  captured  a  lieutenant  and  eleven  pri 
vates,  who  had  just  begun  to  destroy  a  bridge 
over  a  small  stream  emptying  into  that  river. 
That  made  it  evident  to  the  Americans  that 
Proctor  had  heard  they  were  in  pursuit  of  him 
and  they  hastened  on,  hoping  to  overtake,  fight, 
and  defeat  him.  That  night  they  encamped  on 
Drake's  farm,  four  miles  below  Dolsen's. 

"As  the  troops  moved  on,  Perry's  vessels 
had  passed  up  the  river  to  cover  their  move 
ments  when  they  should  cross  the  Thames  or  its 
tributaries;  but  here  there  was  a  change  in  the 
character  of  the  banks;  below  the  river  flowed 
on  between  prairies,  its  channel  broad,  its  cur 
rent  sluggish,  but  here  the  country  became 
hilly,  the  stream  narrow  and  rapid,  the  banks 
high  and  wooded,  affording  convenient  places 
for  Indian  ambuscades,  from  whence  shots  could 
be  fired  down  upon  the  passing  vessels  below. 
So  it  was  thought  better  not  to  take  them  any 
higher  up  the  stream  than  Dolsen's,  and  Perry 
landed  and  offered  his  serivces  to  Harrison  as 
Volunteer  aid;  so  joining  the  army  in  the  excit 
ing  pursuit  of  the  foe. 


120  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

"The  cowardly  Proctor — much  to  the  disgust 
of  Tecumseh — fled  up  the  Thames  28|  miles 
from  Dolson's  to  Chatham,  where  an  impassable 
stream  called  M'Gregor's  Creek  empties  into 
that  river.  On  reaching  the  spot  he  said  to 
Tecums'eh,  'Here  we  will  defeat  Harrison  or 
lay  our  bones.' 

"  Tecumseh  was  pleased  with  both  the  speech 
and  the  spot,  and  remarked  that  when  he  looked 
at  these  streams  he  would  be  reminded  of  the 
Tippecanoe  and  the  Wabasb. 

"Two  bridges — one  at  the  mouth  of  the 
creek  and  the  other  at  a  mill  a  mile  above,  had 
been  partially  destroyed,  and  at  each  was  a 
party  of  Indians  ready  to  dispute  the  passage 
of  the  Americans  should  they  attempt  to  cross 
or  to  make  repairs;  but  Major  Wood,  with  two 
six-pounder  cannon,  and  Colonel  Johnson  with 
his  horsemen,  soon  sent  them  flying  after 
Proctor." 

"Was  anybody  hurt  in  either  fight,  papa?" 
asked  Grace. 

"Yes;  2  men  of  Johnson's  party  were  killed, 
and  6  or  7  wounded.  The  Indians  had  a  large 
number  wounded  and  13  killed.  It  was  here 
that  the  chief  Walk-in-the-Water  with  60  war 
riors  came  to  Harrison  and  offered  to  join  his 
army  conditionally.  But  Harrison  had  no 
time  to  attend  to  him,  so  told  him  if  he  left 


ON  INLAND    WATERS.  121 

Tecumseh,  he  must  keep  out  of  the  way  of  the 
American  army." 

"Did  he  do  it,  papa?"  asked  Elsie. 

"Yes,  he  went  back  to  the  Detroit  River." 

"And  did  the  Americans  go  on  chasing  the 
British,  papa?" 

"  Yes,  and  the  British  retreating,  destroying 
all  they  could  on  the  way,  firing  houses  and 
vessels  containing  military  and  naval  stores  as 
they  went,  the  Americans  following,  putting 
out  the  fires  and  saving  houses,  vessels,  stores 
as  far  as  possible. 

"But  they  did  not  catch  up  to  the  British 
that  night ;  they  encamped  and  Harrison  set  a 
double  guard;  which  was  well,  for  at  midnight 
Proctor  and  Tecumseh  reconnoitred  the  camp, 
but  did  not  venture  to  attack  it. 

"At  dawn  the  Americans  were  again  in 
motion,  the  mounted  regiments  in  front,  led  by 
General  Harrison  and  his  staff,  the  Kentucky 
volunteers  under  General  Shelby  following. 
It  was  not  long  before  they  had  captured  two 
of  the  enemy's  gunboats  and  several  bateaux 
with  army  supplies  and  ammunition,  and  some 
prisoners. 

"  It  was  only  nine  o'clock  when  they  reached 
a  place  where  the  river  was  fordable  by  horses. 
Harrison  decided  to  cross  there  and  each  of  the 
mounted  men  took  an  infantryman  on  his  horse 


122  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

behind  him;  others  crossed  in  the  bateaux,  and 
by  noon  the  whole  American  army  was  on  the 
north  side  of  the  river." 

"I  should  think  they  must  have  been  tired,* 
said  little  Elsie.  "Didn't  they  stop  to  reaf 
a  while,  papa?" 

"No,  indeed,"  replied  her  father,  stroking 
her  hair  and  smiling  down  into  the  interested 
little  face  upturned  to  his,  "they  were  much  too 
eager  to  catch  and  defeat  their  country's  foes. 
They  hastened  on  as  rapidly  as  possible,  pass 
ing  on  their  way  many  evidences  of  the  rapidity 
of  Proctor's  retreat. 

"It  was  two  o'clock  and  they  were  eight 
miles  from  the  crossing  place  when  they  came 
upon  smouldering  embers  that  showed  where  the 
enemy's  rear  guard  had  been  but  a  short  time 
before.  By  that  they  knew  they  were  not  far 
behind  the  foe,  and  Colonel  Johnson  dashed 
forward  to  learn  their  exact  whereabouts. 

"  It  was  not  long  before  he  had  captured  a 
British  wagoner  who  told  him  that  Proctor  had 
halted  only  three  hundred  yards  farther  on. 
Johnson,  with  Major  James  Suggett  and  his 
spies,  moved  cautiously  on,  and  found  the 
British  drawn  up  in  battle  order,  waiting  for 
the  coming  of  the  Americans. 

"He,  Johnson,  learned  enough  about  their 
position  to  enable  General  Harrison  and  a  coun* 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  123 

oil  of  officers,  held  on  horseback,  to  decide  upon 
the  best  order  for  the  attack.  The  American 
army  now  consisted  of  a  little  more  than  3000 
men — 120  regulars  of  the  27th  Regiment,  5 
brigades  of  Kentucky  volunteers  under  Gover 
nor  Shelby,  and  Colonel  Johnson's  regiment  of 
mounted  infantry. 

"  The  foe  had  made  choice  of  a  good  place 
to  make  a  stand.  On  one  side  was  the  Thames 
River,  with  high  and  precipitous  bank,  on  the 
other  a  marsh  running  almost  parallel  with  the 
river.  Between  the  two,  about  three  hundred 
yards  from  the  river,  was  a  narrow  swamp  with 
a  strip  of  solid  ground  between  it  and  the  large 
marsh.  Almost  the  whole  space  between  the 
river  and  the  marsh  was  covered  with  forest 
trees — oaks,  beeches,  and  sugar  maples,  with 
very  little  undergrowth. 

"The  British  regulars  were  formed  in  two  lines 
between  the  river  and  the  small  swamp;  their 
artillery  planted  in  the  road  near  the  bank  of  the 
stream.  The  Indians  were  posted  between  the 
two  swamps,  those  commanded  by  Tecumseh 
in  person  on  the  isthmus  or  narrowest  point. 

"At  first  Harrison  arranged  for  the  horsemen 
to  fall  back  and  let  the  infantry  make  the  first 
attack,  which  would  begin  the  battle;  next  the 
cavalry  were  to  charge  the  British.  But  when 
all  the  preparations  were  completed  Major 


124  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

Wood,  who  had  been  reconnoitring  the  enemy's 
position,  informed  Harrison  that  the  British 
were  drawn  up  in  open  order,  and,  though  con 
trary  to  all  precedent,  the  general  immediately 
decided  to  change  his  plan  of  attack.  Instead 
of  having  the  infantry  fall  upon  the  British 
front  he  ordered  Johnson  to  charge  their  line 
with  his  mounted  troops. 

"  In  explaining  his  motive  for  the  change,  in 
a  report  rendered  afterward  to  the  Secretary  of 
War,  he  said:  'The  American  backwoods  men 
ride  better  in  the  woods  than  any  other  people. 
A  musket  or  rifle  is  no  impediment,  they  being 
accustomed  to  carrying  them  on  horseback 
from  their  earliest  youth.  I  was  persuaded, 
too,  that  the  enemy  would  be  quite  unprepared 
for  the  shock,  and  that  they  could  not  resist  it.' 

"The  event  speedily  proved  the  wisdom  of 
the  decision.  The  general's  orders  were 
promptly  obeyed,  then  a  bugle  sounded,  and 
the  Americans  moved  coolly  forward,  neither 
hesitating  nor  with  undue  haste,  among  huge 
trees,  over  fallen  timber,  and  through  the 
undergrowth,  those  impediments  in  their  path 
compelling  them  to  move  slowly. 

"  While  they  were  still  at  some  distance  from 
the  front  line  of  the  British  regulars  the  latter 
opened  upon  them  with  a  severe  fire,  which 
caused  some  confusion  at  the  head  of  the 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  125 

column,  the  horses  of  some  of  them  taking 
fright;  and  before  order  was  restored  there 
came  second  volley.  Then  with  a  tremendous 
shout  the  American  cavalry  boldly  dashed  upon 
the  British  line  and  broke  it,  scattering  it  in  all 
directions.  Then  the  second  line,  thirty  paces 
in  the  rear,  was  treated  in  the  same  way,  and 
the  horsemen  wheeled  right  and  left,  pouring  a 
destructive  fire  upon  the  rear  of  the  confused 
and  broken  columns,  so  increasing  their  panic 
that  they  threw  down  their  arms  and  surrendered 
as  fast  as  they  could. 

"Lossing  tells  us  that  in  less  than  five 
minutes  after  the  first  shot  was  fired  the  whole 
British  force,  more  than  eight  hundred  strong, 
were  totally  vanquished,  and  most  of  them  made 
prisoners;  only  about  fifty  men  and  a  single 
officer  escaping." 

"Ah,  that  was  a  victory  to  be  proud  of  I" 
cried  Lulu.  "  And  what  became  of  the  brave 
Proctor,  papa?" 

"  He  fled  from  the  field  as  fast  as  his  horses 
would  carry  him,  taking  with  him  his  personal 
staff,  a  few  dragoons,  and  some  mounted  In* 
dians.  In  the  words  of  the  old  song 

*• '  When  Proctor  saw  lost  was  the  day. 

He  fled  La  Tranche's  plain  : 

A  carriage  bore  the  chief  away, 

Who  ne'er  returned  again.' 


126  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

He  was  hotly  pursued  by  a  part  of  Johnson's 
corps  under  Major  Payne." 

"I  think  I  remember,  though,  that  they  did 
not  succeed  in  catching  him,"  remarked  Rosie. 

"No,"  said  the  captain;  "ten  of  them  con 
tinued  the  pursuit  until  dark,  but  could  not 
overtake  him." 

"  Ah,  it  seems  he  was  better  at  running  away 
than  at  fighting,"  said  Walter;  "but  if  I  re 
member  right,  he  had  to  abandon  his  fine 
carriage." 

"He  did  so;  left  the  road  and  escaped  by 
some  bypath,"  replied  Captain  Raymond.  "  So 
rapid  and  masterly  was  his  retreat  that  within 
twenty-four  hours  he  was  sixty-five  miles  dis 
tant  from  his  starting  point — the  battle 
ground." 

"And  the  American  officers  and  men  got 
nothing  for  their  long  chase,  papa?"  Grace 
said  enquiringly. 

"A  trifle  more,"  returned  the  captain,  with  a 
slightly  amused  look:  "Major  Wood  captured 
Proctor's  carriage,  sword,  and  valuable  papers. 
There  were  some  beautifully  written  letters 
from  Proctor's  wife,  in  which  she  addresses 
him  as  'Dear  Henry.'  " 

"'Dear  Henry,'  indeed!"  cried  Lucilla  scorn 
fully.  "I  could  never  love  such  a  coward. 
Nor — nor  such  a  cruel  wretch — delighting  in 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  127 

seeing  men,  women,  and  children  tortured  by 
the  savages,  if  he  didn't  take  part  in  it  with 
his  own  hands.  But  you  haven't  finished  the 
story  of  the  battle,  papa." 

"No,  not  quite.  General  Henry,  with  his 
advancing  columns,  was  hardly  in  sight  of  the 
combatants  before  that  part  of  the  battle  was 
over;  but  at  the  same  time  that  one  bugle 
sounded  for  that  attack  another  was  heard  on 
the  left.  Colonel  Johnson  and  his  troops  moved 
against  the  Indians  almost  at  the  same  instant 
that  the  first  battalion — under  his  brother 
James  and  Major  Payne — attacked  the  British 
regulars.  He  had  divided  his  force  and  led 
them — the  second  battalion — across  the  little 
swamp  to  attack  the  Indian  left.  They  were 
in  front  of  Shelby,  with  a  company  of  infantry. 
Harrison  had  taken  a  position  on  the  extreme 
right,  near  the  bank  of  the  river,  where  he 
could  observe  and  direct  all  the  movements, 
and  with  him  were  Adjutant-General  Butler, 
Commodore  Perry,  and  General  Cass. 

"Tecumseh's  savages  reserved  their  fire  till 
the  Americans  were  within  a  few  paces  of 
them,  then  hurled  upon  them  a  deadly  shower 
of  bullets,  wounding  General  Johnson  very 
severely,  and  prostrating  more  than  half  his 
vanguard  of  forlorn  hope.  On  this  part  of  the 
field  the  undergrowth  and  the  branches  of  the 


128  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

trees  were  too  thick  to  allow  mounted  men  to 
do  much  service  with  their  rifles,  therefore 
Johnson  ordered  them  to  dismount  and  fight  on 
foot  at  close  quarters.  They  obeyed,  and  there 
were  many  hand  to  hand  fights,  the  Kentuckiaus 
as  they  fought  raising  now  and  again  the  fear 
ful  cry,  'Remember  the  River  Raisin.' " 

"What  did  they  mean  by  that,  papa?"  asked 
Elsie. 

"I  will  explain  that  at  another  time,"  he 
replied.  "You  may  ask  for  the  story  to 
morrow.  And  now,  to  go  on  with  this — for 
a  while  it  seemed  doubtful  which  side  would 
win;  but  General  Shelby,  perceiving  it,  ordered 
the  regiment  of  Lieutenant-Colonel  Donaldson 
to  the  support  of  Johnson,  and  General  King  to 
press  forward  to  the  front  with  his  brigade. 

"  The  Indians  had  already  recoiled  from  the 
shock  of  the  Kentucky  riflemen,  and  now  they 
fled ;  they  were  pursued  and  a  scattering  run 
ning  fight  ended  the  battle.  Proctor  was  run 
ning  away  as  fast  as  he  could,  like  some  hunted 
wild  animal,  and  his  savage  allies  scattered 
themselves  through  the  forest  behind  the  larger 
swamp." 

"Tecumseh  with  the  rest,  papa?"  asked 
Elsie. 

"  No,  my  child,  Tecumseh  was  lying  dead  on 
the  field  of  battle.  But  for  his  loss  it  is  likely 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  129 

the  Indians  would  have  continued  the  struggle 
for  some  time  longer." 

"Who  killed  him,  papa?"  she  asked. 

"No  one  can  say  certainly,"  replied  her 
father,  "though  probably  it  was  Johnson. 
Tradition  and  history  tell  us  that  Tecumseh 
had  wounded  Colonel  Johnson  with  a  rifle 
bullet,  and  was  springing  forward  to  tomahawk 
him,  when  Johnson  drew  a  pistol  from  his  belt 
and  shot  him  through  the  heart.  It  is  said  that 
Johnson  himself  never  either  affirmed  or  denied 
that  his  was  the  hand  which  slew  Tecumseh. 
Probably  he  did  not  really  know  whether  the 
Indian  he  had  killed  was  the  great  chieftain  or 
some  other.  However,  it  is  certain  that  he, 
Tecumseh,  was  slain  in  that  battle, — as  it  seems 
he  had  predicted  that  he  would  be, — and  it  is  a 
question  of  little  importance  whose  hand  sped 
the  bullet  or  struck  the  blow  that  ended  his 
career." 

There  was  a  moment  of  silence,  broken  by 
Grandma  Elsie's  soft  voice : 

"  '  The  moment  was  fearful :  a  mightier  foe 

Had  ne'er  swung  his  battle  axe  o'er  him  ; 
But  hope  nerved  his  arm  for  a  desperate  blow 

And  Tecumseh  fell  prostrate  before  him. 
He  fought  in  defence  of  his  kindred  and  king 

With  spirit  most  loving  and  loyal, 
And  long  shall  the  Indian  warrior  sing 

The  deeds  of  Tecumseh  the  royal/ 


130  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

I  presume  you  are  right,  captain,  in  thinking," 
she  added,  "  that  even  Johnson  himself  did  not 
know  whether  the  Indian  he  had  shot  was 
Tecumseh,  but  as  you  have  just  said,  the  ques 
tion  is  of  no  historical  importance.  We  do  know, 
however,  that  Johnson  behaved  most  gallantly 
in  the  battle  of  the  Thames  and  was  sorely 
wounded  in  the  hip,  thigh,  and  hand;  the  last 
from  the  Indian  whom  he  shot.  He  was  dis 
abled  and  said  to  his  friend,  Dr.  Theobald,  one 
of  his  staff,  fighting  near  him,  'I  am  severely 
wounded:  where  shall  I  go?'  Theobald,  say 
ing,  'Follow  me,'  led  him  across  the  smaller 
swamp  to  the  road  and  the  stand  of  Governor 
Shelby's  surgeon-general.  Johnson  was  faint 
from  the  loss  of  blood,  and  his  horse,  it  would 
seem,  was  still  more  sorely  wounded,  for  as 
his  master  was  lifted  from  his  back  he  fell 
dead." 

"Oh,  did  the  man  die  too,  grandma?"  asked 
little  Elsie,  with  a  look  of  eager  interest  and 
concern. 

"No,  dear;  they  gave  him  water,  dressed  his 
wounds,  and  carried  him  on  board  a  vessel  they 
had  taken  from  the  British.  Captain  Cham- 
plin,  the  commander  of  the  Scorpion,  was  there 
on  it;  he  took  the  colonel  down  the  river  in 
that  vessel  to  his  own,  lying  at  Dolsen's,  and 
from  there,  in  her,  to  Detroit." 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  131 

"Papa,  did  he  get  well  and  go  back  and  fight 
some  more?"  asked  Ned. 

"No,  ray  son;  he  went  into  Congress  and 
served  his  country  well  there.  But  now  it  is 
high  time  for  you  and  Elsie  to  go  to  your 
berths.  Bid  us  all  good-night;  to-morrow  you 
may  ask  as  many  questions  as  you  please,  and 
papa  will  answer  them  to  the  best  of  his 
ability." 


CHAPTER  VIH. 

THE  wind  had  risen  while  Captain  Raymond 
Was  talking,  and  now  began  to  blow  briskly, 
bringing  with  it  an  occasional  dash  of  rain ;  a 
State  of  affairs  that  presently  sent  the  whole 
party  into  the  cabin,  and  a  little  later  they  had 
all  retired  to  their  staterooms  but  the  captain 
and  his  two  older  daughters,  who  lingered 
a  few  moments  for  the  bit  of  chat  with  their 
dearly  loved  father  of  which  they  were  so  fond. 

"Do  you  think  we  are  going  to  have  a  hard 
storm,  papa?"  Grace  asked  a  little  anxiously, 
as  she  came  to  him  to  say  good-night. 

"I  hope  not,"  he  said,  "do  not  be  anxious; 
remember,  'the  Lord  hath  his  way  in  the  whirl 
wind  and  in  the  storm,  and  the  clouds  are  the 
dust  of  his  feet.  He  rebuketh  the  sea  and 
maketh  it  dry.'  Remember,  too,  that  'the 
Lord  is  good,  a  stronghold  in  the  day  of  trouble; 
and  He  knoweth  them  that  trust  in  Him. ' ' 

"  Oh,  yes !  Thank  you  for  reminding  me  of 
those  sweet  words,  father,  dear,"  she  returned 
with  a  sigh  of  relief,  and  laying  her  cheek 
affectionately  against  his  as  he  put  an  arm  about 

133 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  133 

her  and  held  her  close  for  a  moment.  "I  will 
trust  and  not  be  afraid." 

"That  is  right,  daughter,"  he  said;  "no  real 
evil  can  befall  us  while  trusting  in  Him." 

"  But,  papa,  Christians  do  have  great  and  real 
distresses  sometimes,"  she  returned,  with  an 
enquiring  and  slightly  troubled  look  up  into  his 
face. 

"Yes,  daughter,  'Whom  the  Lord  loveth  he 
chasteneth  and  scourgeth  every  son  whom  he 
receiveth.'  But  'like  as  a  father  pitieth  his 
children  so  the  Lord  pitieth  them  that  fear 
Him ;'  and  He  will  sustain  them  under  all  the 
troubles  that  He  sends.  Remember  that  His 
promise  is,  'As  thy  days,  so  shall  thy  strength 
be.'" 

"Such  a  sweet,  precious  promise,  papa!"  she 
said.  "  I  will  just  put  my  dear  ones  and  myself 
in  His  care,  trust  in  Him,  and  not  lie  awake, 
dreading  shipwreck." 

"  That  is  what  I  would  have  you  do,  my  dar 
ling,"  he  returned.  Do  not  forget  those  sweet 
words  of  Holy  Writ:  'The  Lord  knoweth  them 
that  trust  in  Him,'  nor  the  promise  that  He 
will  never  leave  or  forsake  them.  Put  yourself 
into  His  care  and  go  to  sleep  untroubled  by 
doubts  and  fears.  Good-night,"  he  concluded, 
as  he  kissed  her  tenderly  and  let  her  go. 

"And    how    is    it    with    my    dear    eldest 


134  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

daughter?"  he  asked,  turning  to  Lucilla,  who 
stood  near  awaiting  her  turn. 

"  I  am  not  naturally  so  timid  as  Gracie,  you 
know,  papa,"  she  answered,  smiling  up  into 
his  face  as  he  passed  an  arm  about  her  and  drew 
her  close  to  his  side,  while  with  the  other  hand 
he  smoothed  her  hair  caressingly,  "and  I  do 
believe  that  God  will  take  care  of  us  all  through 
the  instrumentality  of  my  own  dear  father,  who 
knows  so  well  how  to  manage  a  vessel  in  calm 
or  storm.  But  you  do  not  think  there  is  much  if 
any  danger,  do  you,  papa?"  she  asked,  gazing 
searchingly  into  his  face,  "for  you  are  not  look 
ing  at  all  anxious." 

"There  is  a  pretty  stiff  breeze,"  he  said, 
"and  Erie  is  a  stormy  lake,  owing  to  the  shal- 
lowness  of  its  waters,  and  the  consequent 
liability  to  a  heavy  ground  swell  which  renders 
its  navigation  particularly  difficult  and  danger 
ous;  but  I  have  passed  over  it  a  number  of 
times  and  do  not  feel  any  great  amount  of 
anxiety  in  regard  to  our  safety — if  I  attend 
properly  to  my  duty  as  commander  of  the  Dol- 
phin,"  he  concluded,  with  his  pleasant  smile. 
"I  must  return  to  the  deck,  now;  so  good 
night,  daughter  dear.  May  you  sleep  sweetly 
and  peacefully,  trusting  in  the  care  of  your 
earthly  father,  and  still  more  is  that  of  your 
heavenly  one." 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  135 

"Oh,  just  one  minute  more,  papa,"  she  said 
entreatingly,  as  he  released  her.  "I — I  want 
to  say  that  I  am  afraid  that  I  was — almost,  if 
not  quite,  a  little  disrespectful  to  you  once  or 
twice  to-day." 

"Ah !  Well,  darling,  if  you  have  been,  it  is 
entirely  forgiven ;  so  go  to  your  bed  in  peace. 
I  must  hurry  on  deck  and  cannot  wait  to  talk 
with  you  further  now." 

With  the  concluding  words  he  hastened 
away,  while  she  looked  after  him  with  eyes  full 
of  filial  love,  then  as  he  disappeared  she  made 
her  way  as  quickly  as  the  rolling  of  the  vessel 
would  allow,  across  the  saloon  and  joined  her 
sister  in  their  stateroom. 

There  were  tears  in  Grace's  sweet  blue  eyes 
as  she  lifted  them  to  her  sister's  face. 

"What,  crying,  Gracie  darling?"  Lulu  asked, 
with  concern. 

"  Yes ;  to  think  of  poor  papa  out  on  deck  in 
the  wind  and  rain,  while  we  are  so  comfortable 
in  here,"  answered  Grace  with  a  sob,  pulling 
out  her  handkerchief  to  wipe  her  eyes.  "  Oh, 
I  almost  wish  I  were  a  big,  strong  sailor,  and 
knew  all  about  managing  a  vessel,  so  that  I 
could  take  his  place  and  have  him  to  his  berth 
to  rest  and  sleep." 

"  I'm  sure  I  wish  I  could,"  sighed  Lulu  "  He 
•hould  never  have  an  ache  or  pain  of  any  kind 


136  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY. 

if  I  might  bear  them  for  him ;  never  be  any 
thing  but  the  happiest  man  in  the  world  if " 

but  she  paused  suddenly,  while  a  vivid  blush 
suffused  her  face.  "  I  have  no  right  to  talk  so," 
she  added  in  a  remorseful  tone,  "I,  who  so 
often  fail  to  be  the  perfectly  respectful  and 
cheerfully  obedient  daughter  that  I  ought." 

"I  really  think  you  judge  yourself  very 
hardly,  Lu,"  remarked  Grace,  with  a  surprised 
glance  into  her  sister's  face.  "  You  are  always 
perfectly  obedient  and  very  affectionate  toward 
our  dear  father,  seeming  to  take  great  delight 
in  doing  everything  you  can  to  please  him  and 
add  to  his  comfort ;  I  really  do  not  think  he  has  a 
child  who  loves  him  better  or  does  more  for  his 
comfort;  no,  not  even  I,  who  esteem  him  the 
very  best  and  dearest  father  in  the  world,"  she 
concluded,  with  a  look  and  smile  that  said  more 
than  her  words. 

"Oh,  thank  you,  Gracie!  I  do  love  him 
dearly,  dearly;  but  as  you  know  I  am  shame 
fully  quick-tempered  and  wilful  and  sometimes 
look  vexed  at  a  reproof  or  prohibition,  then  the 
next  minute  could  beat  myself  well  for  it." 

"Lu,  you  never,  never  are  in  a  passion  now 
adays!"  exclaimed  Grace.  "I  own  you  do 
look  vexed  sometimes  for  a  minute  or  two,  but 
then  it's  all  over  and  you  are  just  as  sweet  and 
pleasant  as  anyone  could  wish.  Oh,  you  are 


OF  INLAND   WATERS.  157 

just  the  dearest,  dearest  girl!  Ah,  you  needn't 
shake  your  head  and  look  so  dolorous,"  she 
added,  in  a  playful  tone,  putting  her  arms 
about  Lucilla  -and  kissing  her  with  ardent 
affection. 

"Ah,  yes,  you  are  all  so  dear  and  loving,  so 
ready  to  excuse  my  faults,"  Lulu  said,  returning 
the  embrace  with  interest.  "  No  one  more  so 
than  our  dear  father,  though  I  well  know  I  have 
given  him  more  pain  and  trouble  than  any 
other  of  his  children,  if  not  than  all  put  together. 
Gracie,  let  us  kneel  down  together  and  ask  God 
to  take  care  of  papa  and  all  of  us,  and  that  if  it 
is  His  will  the  storm  may  soon  so  abate  that  our 
dear  father  can  go  to  his  berth  and  get  a  good 
night's  rest." 

Grace  was  more  than  willing,  and  they  spent 
some  minutes  in  earnest  supplication. 

In  that  act  of  prayer  Grace  cast  all  her  care 
upon  the  Lord,  and  scarcely  had  she  more  than 
laid  her  head  upon  her  pillow  before  she  fell 
asleep ;  but  Lucilla  lay  for  hours  listening  to 
the  howling  of  the  wind,  the  sound  of  the 
waves  dashing  against  the  sides  of  the  vessel, 
her  father's  voice  occasionally  giving  an  order 
through  the  speaking  trumpet,  and  the  hurried 
and  heavy  tread  of  the  sailors  as  they  hastened 
to  obey.  It  seemed  a  worse  storm  than  any  she 
had  ever  been  in  upon  the  water,  and  almost  her 


138  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

every  breath  was  a  prayer  for  the  safety  of  the 
yacht  with  all  its  living  freight — especially  her 
dearly  loved  father,  now  exposed  to  the  fury  of 
the  wind,  waves,  and  rain — that  they  might 
pass  through  it  in  safety. 

But  at  last  she  fell  into  a  deep  sleep,  and  for 
some  hours  heard  and  felt  nothing  of  the  storm. 
Yet  it  was  not  over  when  she  awoke;  she  could 
still  hear  the  howling  of  the  wind,  the  rush  of 
the  waters,  and  feel  the  rolling  and  pitching  of 
the  vessel.  But  it  was  daylight,  and  slipping 
from  her  berth  with  care  not  to  rouse  her  still 
sleeping  sister,  she  knelt  for  a  moment  of  heart 
felt  thanks  to  her  heavenly  Father,  that  thua 
far  they  had  weathered  the  storm,  and  fervent 
supplication  that  the  vessel  might  outride  it 
in  safety  to  the  end. 

Rising  from  her  knees  she  made  a  hasty 
toilet,  then,  anxious  to  learn  of  her  father's  wel 
fare,  stole  from  the  room,  and  holding  on  by 
the  furniture,  crossed  the  saloon,  then  with 
some  difficulty  climbed  the  cabin  stairway  and 
reached  the  windswept  deck. 

One  glance  showed  her  her  father  standing 
at  a  little  distance,  giving  some  direction  to  a 
sailor.  He  did  not  see  her.  There  was  a  mo 
mentary  lull  in  the  wind,  and  taking  advantage 
of  it  she  started  on  a  run  toward  him.  But 
just  at  that  moment  came  another  and  fierce 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  139 

gust  that  took  her  off  her  feet  and  swept  her 
toward  the  side  of  the  vessel. 

In  another  instant  she  would  have  been  in  the 
water,  had  her  father  not  turned  suddenly  and 
caught  her  in  his  arms  barely  in  time  to  save 
her  from  that  fate.  He  held  her  fast  with  one 
arm  while  he  grasped  the  railing  with  the  other 
hand,  and  held  on  till  the  gale  again  moderated 
for  a  moment.  Then  he  carried  her  back  to 
the  cabin.  They  were  alone  there,  for  the 
others  were  still  in  their  staterooms.  He 
strained  her  to  his  breast  in  silence,  and  she 
felt  a  tear  fall  on  her  head. 

"Thank  God,  my  darling,  precious  child  is 
safe  in  my  arms!"  he  said  at  last,  speaking 
scarcely  above  a  whisper,  pressing  his  lips  again 
and  again  to  her  forehead,  her  cheek,  her  mouth. 

"And  my  own  dear  father  saved  me,"  she 
said  in  quivering  tones,  her  arms  about  his 
neck,  her  face  half  hidden  on  his  breast. 

"  It  was  a  narrow  escape,  my  child,"  he  sighed, 
repeating  his  caresses,  "a  very  narrow  escape; 
and  what  would  I  have  done  had  I  lost  my 
dear  eldest  daughter?  You  must  not  try  it 
again ;  don't  venture  on  deck  again  until  I  give 
you  permission." 

"I  will  not,  papa,"  she  returned.  "But  oh, 
haven't  you  been  up  all  night?  can't  you  take 
some  rest  now?" 


140  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

"Not  yet;  perhaps  after  a  little.  There, 
there,  do  not  look  so  distressed,"  smoothing  her 
hair  caressingly  as  he  spoke.  "You  must  re 
member  I  am  an  old  sailor  and  used  to  such 
vigils.  I  had  a  cup  of  coffee  and  a  biscuit  a 
while  ago  which  quite  refreshed  me." 

"But  can't  you  go  to  your  berth  now  and 
take  some  hours  of  rest  and  sleep,  papa,  dear?" 
she  asked  entreatingly,  her  eyes  gazing  lovingly 
into  his.  "Surely  someone  among  your  men 
must  be  fit  to  take  charge  of  the  yacht  for  a 
while." 

"Not  just  yet,  daughter;  perhaps  before 
long  I  can  do  so.  I  must  leave  you  now  and  go 
back  to  my  duties;  and  do  you  go  to  your  state 
room  and  thank  your  heavenly  Father  for  your 
escape  from  a  watery  grave." 

With  that  he  released  her  and  hurried  away 
np  the  cabin  stairs,  she  following  him  with 
looks  of  yearning  affection  till  he  disappeared 
from  view,  then  hastening  to  obey  his  parting 
injunction. 

Her  heart  was  full  of  love  and  gratitude  to 
God  for  her  spared  life,  and  that  thus  far  they 
had  escaped  shipwreck,  and  even  as  she  gave 
thanks  it  seemed  to  her  that  there  was  a  lull  in 
the  storm — the  wind  almost  ceasing  to  blow  and 
the  vessel  rocking  much  less. 

a  Oh,  Gracie,"  she  said,  as  she  rose  from  hef 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  141 

knees  and  perceived  that  her  sister's  eyes  were 
open,  "I  do  think — I  do  hope  that  the  worst  of 
the  storm  is  over." 

"Do  you?"  cried  Grace  joyously,  hastily 
throwing  back  the  covering  and  stepping  out 
upon  the  floor.  "Oh,  how  glad  I  am!  How 
good  God  has  been  to  us  all!  But  where  is 
papa?  Has  he  been  up  all  night?" 

"Yes,"  replied  Lulu,  "and  oh,  Gracie,  if  it 
hadn't  been  for  him  I  would  be  at  the  bottom 
of  the  lake  now,"  she  added,  with  tears  of 
gratitude  filling  her  eyes. 

"Why,  Lu!"  exclaimed  Grace  in  astonish 
ment,  "you  surely  did  not  venture  up  on  the 
deck  in  this  storm?" 

"I  did,  and  was  nearly  blown  into  the  lake, 
but  papa  caught  me,  held  me  fast  for  a  minute, 
then  carried  me  down  into  the  cabin." 

"  Oh,  Lu !  Lu !  I  hope  you  will  never  venture 
so  again !  I'd  be  broken-hearted,  and  so  would 
papa,  and  indeed,  all  the  rest,  if  we  lost  you  in 
that  way.  What  could  I  ever  do  without  my 
dear,  big  sister?"  she  concluded,  putting  her 
arms  about  Lucilla  and  holding  her  fast  in  a 
most  loving  embrace. 

"Oh,  but  it  is  nice  that  you  love  me  so, 
Gracie,  dear,"  Lulu  returned. 

"  It  was  very  foolish  in  me  to  venture  on  deck 
in  such  a  gale,  but  papa  did  not  scold  me  at 


142  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

all;  just  held  me  fast,  petting  and  caressing  me 
as  if  I  were  one  if  his  greatest  treasures." 

"Of  course,"  said  Grace.  "But  didn't  he 
forbid  you  to  try  going  on  deck  again  before 
the  wind  dies  down?" 

"  Yes,"  acknowledged  Lulu.  "  Oh,  I  wish  he 
could  stay  below  too.  I  want  him  to  go  to  his 
berth  and  sleep  off  his  fatigue.  He  must  be 
very  tired  after  his  long  night's  vigil.  But  it 
is  nearly  breakfast  time,  and  we  should  be 
making  ourselves  neat  to  appear  at  the  table, 
looking  as  papa  would  have  us." 

An  hour  later  all  had  gathered  about  the 
table,  the  captain  at  the  head  of  it  as  usual, 
and  looking  cheerful  and  pleasant-tempered  as 
was  his  wont,  though  somewhat  weary  and 
worn.  He  reported  the  storm  nearly  over,  no 
serious  damage  done  the  vessel,  nor  much  time 
lost.  He  hoped  to  be  in  the  Welland  Canal 
before  night,  and  that  they  would  find  them 
selves  on  Lake  Ontario  when  they  woke  in  the 
morning. 

"  And  can  you  not  go  to  your  berth  for  some 
hours'  rest  and  sleep  when  you  have  finished 
your  breakfast,  my  dear?"  queried  Violet,  with 
a  loving,  anxious  look  into  his  face. 

"  Probably ;  after  a  short  visit  to  the  deck  to 
see  that  all  is  going  right  there.  Excuse  me, 
my  dear,"  he  added,  pushing  away  his  plate 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  143 

tod  rising  to  his  feet  as  he  spoke.  "I  must 
return  to  my  duties  at  once,  but  would  have 
everyone  else  finish  the  mea\  at  leisure,"  and 
with  the  last  word  he  hurried  away. 

"My  dear  papa  looks  so  tired,  mamma,"  re 
marked  little  Elsie  in  regretful  tones,  "what 
has  he  been  doing?" 

"Staying  up  all  night  to  take  care  of  us," 
replied  Violet,  the  tears  shining  in  her  eyes. 
"Don't  you  think  we  ought  to  love  dear 
papa  and  do  all  we  can  to  make  him 
happy?" 

"Yes,  indeed,  mamma!"  answered  the  little 
girl  earnestly.  "  Oh,  I  hope  he  can  get  a  good 
sleep  soon  so  that  he  will  feel  rested  and  well. 
I  was  going  to  ask  him  to  tell  me  about  what 
happened  at  the  River  Raisin.  You  know  our 
soldiers,  in  that  fight  with  the  British  and 
Indians  that  he  told  us  about  yesterday,  called 
out  over  and  over  again,  'Remember  the  River 
Raisin,'  and  papa  said  he  would  tell  me  what  it 
meant  if  I  would  ask  him  to-day.  But  I  can 
wait  till  to-morrow,"  she  added,  with  a  sigh  of 
resignation. 

"  How  would  it  do  for  grandma  to  take  your 
papa's  place  and  tell  you  the  story?"  asked 
Grandma  Elsie,  in  cheerful  tones,  and  with  a 
loving,  smiling  look  at  the  little  girl. 

"Oh,  nicely,  grandma!     I  don't   know  but 


144  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

you  could  do  it  as  well  as  papa  could,"  answered 
the  child  eagerly. 

"Ah,  dearie,  it  is  a  very  sad  story,  and  I 
think  I  shall  have  to  make  it  short,"  sighed 
Mrs.  Travilla;  "the  details  would  but  harrow 
up  your  feelings  unnecessarily." 

"Bad  doings  of  the  British  and  Indians, 
grandma?"  queried  the  little  girl. 

"Yes;  it  was  that,  indeed!"  said  Mr.  Dins- 
more  ;  "  the  latter  part  of  the  tragedy  a  terrible 
slaughter  of  defenceless  prisoners — tortured, 
scalped,  tomahawked,  slain  in  various  ways 
with  the  utmost  cruelty ;  many  of  them  burned 
alive  in  the  houses  where  they  lay  wounded, 
unable  to  move.  It  was  a  fearful  slaughter 
which  Proctor,  far  from  trying  to  prevent, 
rewarded  with  praise  and  the  purchase  of  the 
scalps." 

"Oh,  wasn't  he  a  very,  very  bad  man,  grand 
pa?"  exclaimed  little  Elsie. 

"More  of  a  devil  than  a  man,  I  should  say," 
exclaimed  Walter.  "I  remember  reading  an 
extract  from  a  letter  written  a  few  days  later, 
from  Fort  Maiden,  by  a  Kentuckian  to  his 
mother,  in  which  he  says,  'Never,  dear  mother, 
should  I  live  a  thousand  years  can  I  forget 
the  frightful  sight  of  this  morning,  when 
hideously  painted  Indians  came  into  the  fort, 
some  of  them  carrying  half  a  dozen  scalps  of 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  145 

•ay  countrymen  fastened  upon  sticks  and  yet 
covered  with  blood,  and  were  congratulated  by 
Celonel  Proctor  for  their  bravery." 

"  But  all  the  British  officers  were  not  so  cruel, 
Walter,  my  dear,"  said  his  mother.  "I  re 
member  the  story  of  the  letter  to  which  you 
refer,  and  that  the  writer  went  on  to  say  that 
he  heard  two  British  officers  talking  of  that 
scene  together;  that  one  of  them,  whose  name, 
he  had  been  told,  was  Lieutenant-Colonel 
St.  George,  remarked  to  the  other  that  Proctor 
was  a  disgrace  to  the  British  army,  that  such 
encouragement  to  devils  was  a  blot  upon  the 
British  character." 

"Oh,  please,  grandma,"  cried  little  Elsie  in 
distress,  "I  don't  want  to  hear  any  more  of 
that  story." 

"No,  dear,  it  is  far  from  being  a  pleasant 
one,  nor  is  it  worth  while  to  harrow  up  your 
feelings  with  it,"  returned  Mrs.  Travilla.  "I 
will  try  to  find  some  pleasanter  one  for  you  and 
Neddie  boy  to  help  you  pass  the  time  agree 
ably  while  the  storm  prevents  us  from  enjoying 
ourselves  upon  the  deck." 

With  that  all  rose  and  left  the  table  to  gather 
in  the  saloon  for  morning  worship,  which,  in 
the  captain's  absence,  was  conducted  by  Mr. 
Dinsmore. 

But  the  storm  was  abating  so  that  in  another 


146  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

half  hour  Captain  Raymond  felt  it  safe  to 
leave  the  deck  and  retire  to  his  stateroom  for 
much  needed  rest  and  sleep,  and  the  others  could 
sit  comfortably  in  the  saloon,  the  ladies  with 
their  fancy  work,  while  Grandma  Elsie  enter 
tained  the  little  folks  with  stories  suited  to 
their  tender  years. 

Walter,  too,  was  one  of  the  listeners  for  a 
time,  then  with  his  grandfather  ventured  upon 
deck  to  take  an  observation  of  the  weather  and 
their  surroundings.  When  they  returned  it 
was  with  the  cheering  report  that  the  storm  had 
evidently  spent  its  fury,  the  wind  had  nearly 
died  down,  the  rain  ceased  to  fall,  and  the  sun 
was  struggling  through  the  clouds. 

"Oh,  then  we  can  go  up  on  deck,  can't  we, 
grandpa?"  cried  Neddie,  in  eager  tones. 

"After  a  little,  sonny,"  returned  his  grandpa, 
sitting  down  and  drawing  the  young  pleader  to 
his  knee. 

"  When  my  papa  wakes  up?"  queried  Neddie, 
in  a  slightly  disappointed  tone. 

"Yes,  indeed,  Ned,"  said  Lucilla,  "for 
though  I  am  so  much  older  than  you,  papa  for 
bade  me  to  go  up  there  without  his  permission." 

"Why  did  he,  Lu?"  asked  Elsie  in  a  tone  of 
surprise;  "and  haven't  you  been  up  there  at  all 
this  morning?" 

"Yes,  I  was,  before  papa  had  forbidden  me 


ON  INLAND   WATERS  147 

—and  would  have  been  blown  into  the  lake  if  he 
hadn't  caught  me  in  his  arms  and  held  me  fast." 

"Oh,  Lu,  tell  us  all  about  it!"  cried  Ned, 
while  the  others  who  had  not  heard  the  story 
expressed  their  surprise  in  various  ways  and 
asked  question  upon  question. 

"There's  hardly  anything  more  to  tell," 
replied  Lucilla.  "I  know  papa  is  always  on 
deck  early  in  the  morning,  and  as  I  wake  early 
too,  I  have  a  habit  of  running  up  there  to 
exchange  morning  greetings  with  him.  That 
was  what  I  went  for  this  time,  not  at  all  realiz 
ing  how  hard  the  wind  was  blowing,  but  I  had 
scarcely  set  foot  on  the  deck  when  it  took  my 
skirts  and  sent  me  across  toward  the  spot  where 
papa  stood  holding  on  to  the  railing  with  one 
hand,  his  speaking  trumpet  in  the  other.  He 
dropped  that  in  an  instant  and  threw  his  arm 
round  me."  As  she  spoke  she  shuddered  at  the 
thought  of  her  narrow  escape  from  a  watery 
grave,  and  her  voice  trembled  with  emotion. 
Controlling  it  with  an  effort,  "You  see,"  she 
concluded,  "that  I  owe  my  life  to  my  dear 
father,  and — and  I  love  him  even  better  than 
ever,  though  I  thought  before  that  I  loved  him 
as  much  as  was  possible." 

At  that  Violet  dropped  her  work,  went 
quickly  to  Lucilla's  side,  and  bending  down 
over  her,  kissed  her  with  warmth  of  affection. 


148  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY. 

"Oh,  I  am  so  glad — so  thankful  that  he  was 
able  to  do  it,"  she  said  in  trembling  tones  and 
with  tears  in  her  eyes.  "Dear  Lu,  it  would 
have  broken  our  hearts  to  lose  you  in  that 
sudden,  dreadful  way." 

"As  it  would  mine  to  lose  you,  dear  Mamma 
Vi,"  returned  Lucilla  with  emotion,  putting  her 
arms  about  Violet's  neck  and  returning  her 
caresses  with  interest,  "for  you  are  so  very 
good,  kind,  and  loving  that  I  have  grown  very 
fond  of  you.  And  I  know  it  would  break 
papa's  heart  to  lose  you,  even  more  than  to  lose 
me  or  all  of  his  children." 

"  Oh,  I  hope  he  may  never  be  so  tried !  for  1 
know  he  loves  us  all  very  dearly,  as  we  do 
him,"  said  Violet.  "  I  don't  know  what  any  of 
us  could  do  without  him." 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THB  sun  was  just  peeping  above  the  horizon, 
the  yacht  moving  swiftly  and  steadily  onward 
as  Lucilla  stepped  from  the  companion-way 
upon  the  deck,  the  next  morning,  having 
obtained  permission  the  night  before  to  do  so 
in  case  the  quiet  movements  of  the  vessel  made 
it  certain  she  would  run  no  such  risk  as  she  had 
the  previous  day. 

Her  father  was  pacing  the  deck,  and  so  near 
that  he  took  her  hand  the  moment  she  appeared. 

"My  early  bird,  as  usual!  Good-morning, 
daughter  mine,"  he  said  in  tender  tones  as  he 
bent  down  and  bestowed  upon  her  the  caress 
she  never  failed  to  receive  from  him  when  first 
they  met  at  the  beginning  of  a  new  day. 

"Good-morning,  dear,  dear  papa,  yester 
day's  saver  of  my  life,"  she  returned,  in  moved 
tones,  putting  her  arms  about  his  neck  and 
pressing  her  lips  to  his  again  and  again.  "  Oh, 
father,  surely  I  belong  to  you  more  than  ever 
now!" 

"You  are  my  very  own,  one  of  my  chief 
treasures,"  he  said,  in  response  to  that.  "God 

149 


150  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

bless  my  darling  and  have  her  ever  in  His  kind 
care  and  keeping!"  He  clasped  her  hand  ten 
derly  in  his  as  he  spoke,  and  for  a  while  they 
paced  the  deck  together. 

"Oh,  where  are  we,  papa?"  she  asked,  gaz 
ing  from  side  to  side  in  eager  curiosity. 
"This  wide  expanse  of  water  cannot  be  the 
Welland  Canal?" 

"No,  we  passed  through  that  in  the  night, 
and  are  now  in  Lake  Ontario." 

"  Oh,  I  am  glad  we  are  so  far  on  our  journey," 
she  said,  "and  the  water  is  so  quiet  that  it 
seems  a  very  suitable  place  in  which  to  spend 
this  sweet  Sabbath  day." 

"  I  think  so,  if  only  we  try  to  spend  it  aright." 

"I  do  intend  to,"  she  responded.  "And  we 
shall  have  our  usual  service  in  the  morning;  we 
younger  ones  a  Bible  lesson  with  papa  in  the 
afternoon,  won't  we?" 

"I  think  so,"  he  said.  "I  certainly  expect 
to  give  my  own  children  a  Bible  lesson,  and  we 
will  not  shut  out  any  who  may  choose  to  take 
apart  in  it.  That  would  be  very  selfish,  would 
it  not?" 

"Yes,  sir!  yes,  indeed!  I  think  so,  for  you 
always  make  a  Bible  lesson  very  interesting  as 
well  as  instructive." 

"I  am  glad  my  daughter  finds  it  so,"  he  said, 
smiling  down  upon  her. 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  151 

They  moved  silently  back  and  forth  for  a  few 
minutes,  Lucilla  apparently  in  deep  thought, 
her  father  watching  with  keen  and  loving  in 
terest  the  changeful  expression  of  her  features. 

"What  is  it,  daughter?  Of  what  are  you 
thinking?"  he  asked  at  length. 

"About  the  narrow  escape  of  yesterday, 
papa,"  she  answered,  lifting  to  his  a  face  full 
of  solemn  awe.  "I  was  asking  myself,  as  I 
have  many  times  since  my  narrow  escape  of 
yesterday  morning,  Was  I  ready  for  heaven? 
Would  I  have  gone  there  if  I  had  been  drowned 
•without  time  to  think  and  prepare  to  meet  my 
Judge?  Oh,  father,  can  anyone  be  saved  with 
out  time  to  think  and  repent  of  every  wrong 
thought  and  feeling,  and  asking  God's  forgive 
ness  for  it?  And  how  would  it  be  possible  to 
do  all  that  while  struggling  for  your  life?" 

"Daughter,"  he  said  in  tender  tones,  "are 
you  not  forgetting  these  sweet  words  of  Holy 
Writ:  'He  that  belie veth  on  the  Son  hath  ever 
lasting  life?'  Take  notice,  it  is  not  shall  have, 
but  hath.  It  is  not  only  the  sins  already  com 
mitted  which  God  forgives  for  Jesus'  sake 
when  He  adopts  us  for  His  own,  but  those  also 
which  in  His  omniscience  He  sees  that  we  will 
be  guilty  of  before  the  work  of  sanctification 
i*  finished.  If  we  are  truly  His,  they  are  all  for 
given  in  advance.  He  says:  'I  give  unto  them 


152  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

eternal  life ;  and  they  shall  never  perish,  neither 
shall  any  man  pluck  them  out  of  my  hand.  My 
Father  which  gave  them  me  is  greater  than  all ; 
and  no  man  is  able  to  pluck  them  out  of  my 
Father's  hand.  I  and  my  Father  are  one.'  In 
another  place  he  says,  'Verily,  verily,  I  say 
unto  you,  He  that  heareth  my  word  and  be- 
lieveth  on  Him  that  sent  me  hath  everlasting 
life  and  shall  not  come  into  condemnation;  but 
is  passed  from  death  unto  life. '  The  one  impor 
tant  question  is,  are  we  really  His?  Have  we 
accepted  His  offered  salvation  and  given  our 
selves  entirely  to  Him?  If  that  be  so  we  have 
no  cause  for  anxiety  or  fear;  for  the  Lord 
knoweth  them  that  are  His,  and  will  never 
suffer  any  real  evil  to  befall  them.  Death  will 
be  but  going  home  to  Him,  and  that  with  all 
the  sin  taken  away  and  we  made  perfect  in  holi 
ness,  no  want  of  conformity  to  His  holy  will 
left  in  us." 

"Yes,  papa,  but " 

"But  what,  daughter?" 

"  Oh,  if  I  should  be  mistaken  in  thinking  that 
I  really  belong  to  Him!  Papa,  how  can  I  know 
it?" 

"Have  you  any  doubt  that  you  are  mine?" 

"No,  indeed,  papa,  not  the  slightest." 

"But  how  do  you  know  it?" 

"Because  you  have  told  me  so  again  and 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  153 

again;  and  besides,  I  have  only  to  look  in  the 
glass  to  see  that  I  have  your  features,  that  I 
resemble  you  about  as  much  in  looks  as  a  young 
girl  can  resemble  a " 

"Middle-aged  man,"  he  added,  finishing  the 
sentence  for  her  as  she  paused  with  an  earnest, 
loving  look  up  into  his  face. 

"And  the  Bible  tells  us,"  he  continued,  "that 
'Whom  He  did  foreknow  He  also  did  predes 
tinate  to  be  conformed  to  the  image  of  His 
Son. '  If  we  are  really  His,  we  will,  in  a  greater 
or  less  degree,  resemble  Him  and  will  be 
changed  into  the  same  image  from  glory  to 
glory." 

"Do  you  see  anything  of  His  image  in  me, 
papa?"  she  asked  anxiously,  humbly. 

"  I  am  glad,  very  glad  to  be  able  to  say  that 
I  think  I  do,  daughter,"  he  replied  joyously, 
tenderly.  "  For  years  past  I  have  watched  you 
very  closely,  constantly  praying  God  to  bless 
my  efforts  to  train  you  up  in  the  way  you 
should  go,  and  bring  you  to  Him,  and  I  am 
very  happy  to  say  that  for  a  long  while  now  I 
have  seen  that  you  were  striving  earnestly  to 
overcome  your  faults  and  live  as  a  true  disciple 
of  Christ.  And  had  you  been  snatched  from 
me  in  that  sudden  way,  while  the  loss  of  my 
dear  child  would  have  been  terrible  to  me,  I 
should  not  have  mourned  as  those  without  hope; 


154  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

but  should  now  be  looking  forward  to  a  happy 
meeting  with  you  in  that  blessed  land  where 
sin  and  sorrow  and  death  are  unknown." 

"Thank  you,  dear  papa,  oh,  thank  you  very 
much!"  she  said,  with  emotion.  "If  I  am  a 
Christian  it  is  because  you  have  taken  almost 
infinite  pains  to  make  me  such,  to  point  me  to 
Christ  and  lead  the  way;  the  way  that  you 
made  plainer  to  me  than  anyone  else  ever  did." 

"Give  all  the  glory  and  praise  to  God,  my 
darling,"  he  responded,  in  moved  tones.  "It 
has  been  my  daily,  earnest  prayer,  that  He 
would  give  me  wisdom  for  the  work  of  bring 
ing  my  children  to  Him  and  bless  my  efforts, 
and  I  think  my  petition  has  been  granted. 
When  you  see  a  work  laid  to  your  hands  for 
which  you  feel  incompetent,  ask  help  from  on 
high,  remembering  and  pleading  His  gracious 
promise — 'If  any  of  you  lack  wisdom  let  him 
ask  of  God,  that  giveth  to  all  men  liberally  and 
upbraideth  not;  and  it  shall  be  given  him. 
But  let  him  ask  in  faith,  nothing  wavering.' 
Never  forget  that  last  clause.  God  knows  the 
heart,  and  it  will  be  useless  for  us  to  plead 
with  Him  a  promise  which  we  do  not  really 
believe." 

"Yes,  papa;  surely  that  would  be  insulting 
to  even  a  human  creature.  Oh,  pray  for  me, 
that  I  may  have  strong  faith  and  never,  never 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  155 

doubt  one  word  of  God's  promises,  or  threats 
either,  and  that  I  may  be  always  ready  for 
whatever  He  sends.  Oh,  I  can  never  thank 
Him  enough  for  giving  me  such  a  good,  kind, 
praying,  Christian  father!" 

"  And  I  have  great  reason  for  gratitude  for 
the  dear  children  he  has  bestowed  upon  me,** 
her  father  responded,  pressing  the  hand  he 
held,  "and  for  the  hope  that  we  will  spend  a 
blessed  eternity  together  in  that  land  where  sin 
and  sorrow  are  unknown." 

"Yes,  papa,  what  a  delightful  thought  that 
is !  and  yet  I  cannot  help  feeling  glad  to  stay  a 
little  longer  here  in  this  world.  Oh,  this  is 
such  a  lovely  morning  and  the  view  is  as  new 
to  me  as  it  is  enchanting,  for,  as  you  know,  in 
going  to  Chicago  we  passed  over  this  part  of 
the  route  in  the  night,  so  that  I  saw  nothing  of 
the  scenery." 

"  Well,  I  think  you  may  enjoy  it  to  the  full 
to-day,"  he  returned,  "and  that  some  time  in 
tne  afternoon  you  will  get  a  sight  of  the  Thou 
sand  Islands ;  though,  by  the  way,  counting  all, 
big  and  little,  there  are  fifteen  hundred  or 
more." 

"Then  we  won't  stop  at  all  of  them?" 

"  Hardly,"  he  answered  with  a  smile.  "  They 
fill  the  river  for  twenty-seven  miles  along  its 
course.  Most  of  them  are  mere  rocky  islets, 


156  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

covered  generally  with  stunted  hemlocks  and 
cedar  trees  down  to  the  water's  edge.  Some 
are  square  miles  in  extent  and  others  only  a  few 
yards." 

"And  how  wide  is  the  river  where  they  are, 
papa?" 

"It  varies  from  two  to  nine  miles  in  width. 
Canoes  and  small  boats  may  pass  safely  among 
all  the  islands,  and  there  is  a  deep  channel  for 
steamboats  and  large  vessels  which,  having  a 
rocky  bottom,  never  varies  in  depth  or  posi 
tion." 

"  Do  they  belong  to  our  country  or  to  Can 
ada,  papa?  I  ought  to  know,  but,  if  I  ever 
did,  I  have  forgotten." 

"The  boundary  line,  which  was  determined 
in  1818,  passes  among  them.  Grindstone, 
Carleton,  and  Wells  are  the  names  of  the 
largest  of  those  belonging  to  the  United  States, 
and  Grand  and  Howe  of  those  belonging  to 
Canada." 

"And  there  are  a  good  many  stories  con 
nected  with  them,  are  there  not,  papa?" 

"Yes;  perhaps  one  of  these  days  we  will 
hunt  them  up ;  for  I  know  that  my  children — 
to  say  nothing  of  older  people — are  fond  of 
stories." 

"  Especially  when  told  by  our  father,  who  is 
sure  to  make  them  interesting,"  she  said,  with 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  167 

an  upward  glance  into  his  face  that  spoke  vol 
umes  of  love  and  admiration. 

"Ah,  such,  it  seems,  is  the  opinion  of  my  par 
tial  eldest  daughter,  who  can  see  nothing  in 
her  father  but  what  is  good  and  admirable." 

"A  weakness  equally  shared  by  his  wife," 
remarked  a  clear,  sweet  voice  in  their  rear. 

They  turned  quickly  at  the  sound,  the  cap 
tain  exclaiming,  as  he  let  go  his  daughter's 
hand,  put  an  arm  about  Violet,  bent  down  and 
kissed  her  tenderly,  "This  is  a  most  agreeable 
surprise,  my  dearest,  for  I  left  you,  at  least, 
so  I  thought,  fast  asleep.  I  moved  as  quietly 
as  I  could,  not  wishing  to  disturb  your  slum 
bers." 

"  As  you  always  do  move  on  such  occasions, 
my  best  and  dearest  of  husbands,"  she  re 
sponded,  returning  his  caresses.  "You  made 
no  noise,  but  somehow  I  happened  to  wake  just 
as  you  closed  the  door,  and  thinking  I  would 
secure  for  myself  the  rare  treat  of  an  early 
walk  with  my — better  half,  I  left  my  berth 
promptly  and  began  my  toilet.  So  here  I  am, 
to  spoil  Lu's  private  morning  interview  with 
the  almost  idolized  father  she  considers  her 
peculiar  property  at  this  hour  of  the  day." 

"  Ah !"  he  returned  laughingly,  "  I  put  it  the 
other  way.  She  is  my  property,  yet  hardly 
more  so  than  my  lovely  young  wife." 


158  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

"  Yes ;  you  and  I  belong  to  each  other,  and 
Lu  can  say  the  same  to  you,"  laughed  Violet. 
"  Can't  you,  Lu?" 

"So  I  think,  Mamma  Vi,"  returned  Lucilla, 
"  and  though  probably  you  are  nearer  and  dearer 
to  him  than  I,  you  cannot  say  as  I  can,  that 
you  have  his  blood  in  your  veins  and  have  be 
longed  to  him  ever  since  you  were  born." 

"No,"  acknowledged  Violet,  "but  I  can  say 
I  belong  to  him  of  choice,  you  only  of  neces 
sity." 

"Oh,  that  doesn't  matter!"  laughed  Lucilla; 
"since  if  I  had  the  privilege  of  choosing,  I 
should  be  all  the  same  his  very,  very  own. 
That  is,  if  he  would  have  me,"  she  added,  with 
a  look  of  ardent  affection  up  into  her  father's 
face,  and  laying  her  hand  upon  his  shoulder. 

"There  is  no  question  about  that,  dear 
child,"  he  said,  putting  his  arm  round  her 
waist  again.  "  Since  the  day  I  first  heard  of 
your  birth  there  has  not  been  one  in  which 
I  have  not  thanked  God  for  this  good  gift 
of  His  to  me,"  he  concluded,  with  a  fond 
caress. 

"  So  you  see  you  have  no  need  to  be  jealous 
even  of  me,  Lu,"  Violet  said,  with  pleased 
look  and  smile. 

"No,  I  am  not,  Mamma  Vi,  not  in  the  least; 
for  I  would  far  rather  be  papa's  daughter  than 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  159 

his  wife.  But,  I  suppose,  you  would  rather 
have  him  to  yourself  for  a  while  now,  so  I  will 
go  down " 

"No,  no,  Lu  dear,  stay  here  with  us,"  inter 
rupted  Violet,  while  the  captain  drew  hit 
daughter  a  little  closer,  saying,  "Stay  where 
you  are.  Cannot  I  have  and  enjoy  you  both  at 
once?" 

"  Oh,  I'm  glad  enough  to  be  allowed  to  stay, 
if  you  both  want  me,"  exclaimed  Lucilla,  with 
a  pleased  little  laugh.  "  But  I  thought  I  had 
had  my  turn  and  was  afraid  I'd  be  in  the  way 
now." 

"  When  I  find  you  in  the  way  I  shall  not  hesi 
tate  to  give  you  an  order  to  go  below,"  her 
father  said,  with  a  look  of  amusement. 

Then,  taking  her  hand  in  his  and  giving  the 
other  arm  to  Violet,  he  resumed  the  interrupted 
promenade  of  the  deck  till  they  were  joined  by 
the  children  and  older  members  of  the  family 
party. 

Then  came  the  summons  to  the  breakfast 
table.  All  were  in  excellent  spirits,  greatly 
enjoying  the  pleasant  change  from  yesterday's 
storm  to  the  lovely  weather  of  to-day.  Most 
of  the  day  was  spent  upon  the  deck  holding 
the  Sabbath  services  usual  with  them  there, 
then  in  reading  and  conversation  suited  to  the 
sacred  time,  or  in  gazing  out  over  the  waters. 


160  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

watching  the  passing  vessels,  and  as  they 
steamed  from  the  lake  into  the  St.  Lawrence 
River  and  pursued  their  way  among  the  islands 
there,  gazing  upon  them  with  interest  and 
curiosity. 

"Are  we  going  to  stop  at  any  of  them, 
papa?"  asked  Grace. 

"I  think  not,"  he  replied.  "  We  are  in  some 
haste  to  reach  Montreal,  as  we  hope  to  find 
letters  there  from  the  home  folks." 

"Yes,"  said  Grandma  Elsie,  "I  am  hoping 
to  hear  from  my  boys — Harold  and  Herbert— 
that  they  have  arrived  safely  at  home ;  also  for 
some  news  from  all  the  other  dear  ones  in  that 
Yicinity." 

"And  we  hope  it  will  be  all  good  news," 
ftdded  Captain  Raymond  cheerily. 

"  And  we  will  send  despatches  and  letters  to 
some  of  them,  that  all  may  be  apprised  of  our 
safety  thus  far,"  added  his  wife. 

"Yes,  indeed,"  said  Violet.  "By  the  way, 
I  wonder  where  our  bride  and  groom  are  by 
this  time?  I  wish  we  might  come  across  them 
and  persuade  them  to  travel  in  the  Dolphin 
again.  We  would  only  have  to  crowd  a  little 
as  before,  to  make  room  for  them." 

"And  none  of  us  would  object  to  that,  I 
think,"  remarked  Rose. 

"I,  for  one,  am  decidedly  of  the  opinion  that 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  161 

It  would  pay,"  said  Lucilla.  "  Don't  you  think 
so,  father?" 

"Yes;  I  have  always  found  their  society 
enjoyable,"  Captain  Raymond  replied  to  that. 
"And  I  hope  they  have  found  ours  agreeable 
enough  to  need  but  little  urging  to  accept  our 
invitation." 

"Perhaps  we  may  come  upon  them  in  Mon 
treal,"  remarked  Grace.  "  Papa,  is  it  not  the 
largest  city  of  Lower  Canada?" 

"Yes;  the  largest  in  British  America." 

"Where  is  it,  papa?"  asked  little  Elsie. 

"  On  the  left  bank  of  this — the  St.  Lawrence 
River,  200  miles  below  Lake  Ontario;  160 
above  Quebec,  which  will  be  our  next  stopping 
place." 

"Will  we  get  there  to-day,  papa?"  asked 
Elsie. 

"No,"  he  replied.  " To-day  is  nearly  gone, 
daughter.  See,  the  sun  is  setting,  and  you  and 
Neddie  will  be  going  presently  to  your  beds,  to 
have  a  good  night's  sleep,  I  hope,  and  be 
ready  to  enjoy  to-morrow's  visit  to  Montreal." 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE  drip,  drip  of  rain  was  the  first  sound 
that  greeted  Lucilla's  ears  on  awaking  the  next 
morning.  She  started  up  in  her  berth  and 
listened.  The  Dolphin  was  not  moving. 

"  Oh,  we  must  be  anchored  at  Montreal,  and 
it's  raining,"  she  said  to  herself.  "  There  will 
not  be  much  sight-seeing  for  us  to-day,  I'm 
afraid.  Dear,  dear!  I  hope  we  won't  hare  to 
hurry  away  without  seeing  anything.  Though 
in  that  case,  perhaps  papa  will  bring  us  here 
again  next  year." 

She  did  not  linger  long  over  her  toilet,  and 
was  soon  with  her  father  on  the  deck. 

"Oh,  papa!"  she  exclaimed,  after  the  usual 
morning  greetings  had  been  exchanged,  "aren't 
you  sorry  it  has  turned  out  a  rainy  day?" 

"  A  bright  one  would  seem  pleasanter  to  us, 
as  we  had  planned  to  do  some  sight-seeing,"  he 
replied,  "but  let  us  remember  who  sends  the 
changes  of  the  weather,  that  He  knows  what 
is  best  for  us,  and  that  we  may  safely  trust  IB 
His  knowledge,  power,  and  love  for  us?" 

"Yes,  papa,  that  is  how  I  ought  to  feel  about 

162 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  163 

it,  and  I  will  try  to,"  she  said,  a  sweet  smile 
replacing  the  sight  frown  that  had  marred  the 
beauty  of  her  face  for  the  moment. 

"I  think,"  he  went  on  presently,  "that  it  is 
not  going  to  be  a  lasting  rain.  Probably 
showery  for  some  hours,  which  we  can  spend 
with  advantage  in  a  short  review  of  the  history 
of  Montreal,  and  considering  what  parts  of  it 
are  most  worthy  of  our  attention ;  for  we  can 
not  take  time  to  visit  every  locality." 

"Oh,  what  a  nice  idea,  papa!  It  quite  com 
forts  me!"  she  cried,  looking  up  into  his  face 
with  a  bright,  glad  smile,  "I  do  think  I  have 
just  the  very  best,  kindest,  wisest  father " 

"There,  there!  that  will  do!"  he  said,  stop 
ping  her  flow  of  words  with  a  kiss  full  upon 
her  lips.  "  I  am  afraid  my  eldest  daughter  is 
a  decided  flatterer." 

"Oh,  papa,  the  truth  isn't  flattery,  is  it?** 
she  asked  with  a  roguish  look  up  into  his  eyes. 

"  Ah !  but  silly  young  things,  like  my  daughter 
Lucilla,  oftentimes  have  vivid  imaginations. 
But  to  change  the  subject,  Montreal,  you  know, 
is  historic  ground." 

"Yes,  sir;  I  remember  that  the  first  white 
man  who  visited  it  was  Jacques  Quartier  or 
Cartier,  a  French  navigator.  And  didn't  he 
discover  the  Gulf  and  River  St.  Lawrence? 
and  give  them  those  names?" 


164  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

"Yes;  and  named  the  place  here  Mount 
Royal — in  honor  of  his  king,  Francis  I.  The 
city  is  built  npon  an  island  thirty  miles  long 
and  twelve  wide,  and  upon  the  site  of  a  noted 
Indian  village  called  Hochelaga.  Cartier's 
visit  was  paid  in  1535.  In  1640  a  white  settle 
ment  was  gathered  there.  The  Indians,  friendly 
at  first,  afterward  became  jealous,  then  hostile. 
The  whites  at  first  defended  their  town  with 
a  stockade  and  slight  bastions,  but  later  with 
a  strong  wall  of  masonry  fifteen  feet  high,  with 
battlements  and  six  gates." 

"What  an  old,  old  town  it  is!"  exclaimed 
Lucilla.  "Did  it  become  a  large  city  very 
quickly,  papa?" 

"No;  its  growth  was  gradual,  but  when  in 
the  middle  of  the  last  century  hostilities  were 
begun  between  the  French  and  English  colonies, 
Montreal  was  an  important  frontier  town.  It 
•was  threatened  by  the  English  under  Amherst 
in  1759,  and  in  the  autumn  of  the  next  year 
passed  out  of  the  possession  of  the  French  into 
that  of  the  English." 

"And  they  have  kept  it  ever  since?" 

"Yes;  though  our  people  invaded  it  in  1775, 
after  the  capture  of  Forts  St.  John  and 
Chambly." 

"Oh,  yes,  sir!  under  Montgomery  and 
Arnold,  wasn't  it?" 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  165 

"The  first  attack  was  under  Ethan  Allen, 
and  was  made  a  month  earlier  than  the  taking 
of  those  forts,"  replied  the  captain.  "  Mont 
gomery  had  sent  him  to  arouse  the  people  in 
favor  of  the  rebellion,  as  our  cause  was  then 
styled  by  our  foes.  Allen  was  active  and  brave, 
and  soon  had  gathered  250  Canadians  to  his 
standard.  He  wrote,  Lossing  tells  us,  to  Mont 
gomery,  that  within  three  days  he  would  join 
him,  with  at  least  500  armed  Canadians,  in  lay 
ing  siege  to  St.  John's. 

"  He  was  marching  up  the  east  side  of  the  St. 
Lawrence  when  he  fell  in  with  Major  Brown, 
at  the  head  of  an  advanced  party  of  Americans 
and  Canadians,  and  Brown  proposed  that  they 
should  make  a  joint  attack  upon  Montreal ;  tell 
ing  Allen  it  was  weak  and  defenceless.  Allen 
agreed  and  they  made  their  arrangements. 
Allen  was  to  get  canoes  and  cross  the  river 
below  the  city  with  his  troops,  while  Brown 
was  to  cross  above  with  200  men,  and  they 
were  to  attack  the  city  simultaneously. 

"But  for  some  unexplained  reason  Brown 
failed  to  keep  his  part  of  the  agreement,  and 
Allen's  party  made  the  attack  alone. 

"It  was  at  night,  a  rough,  windy  night,  that 
they,  80  Canadians  and  30  Americans,  crossed 
the  river,  and  they  had  so  few  canoes  that 
three  crossings  were  necessary  to  carry  the 


166  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

whole  party  over.  That  was  safely  accom 
plished  by  daylight,  at  which  time  Allen  ex 
pected  to  hear  Brown's  signal,  telling  him  that 
he  too  had  crossed  with  his  men.  But  the 
signal  was  waited  for  in  vain.  He  did  not 
come  at  all. 

"Allen  would  have  retreated  if  the  boats 
could  have  carried  all  over  at  once;  as  it  was, 
he  placed  guards  on  the  roads  to  prevent  people 
from  carrying  the  news  of  his  presence  into 
the  city.  But  in  spite  of  that  precaution  the 
inhabitants  somehow  became  aware  of  it,  and 
soon  troops  were  seen  issuing  from  the  gates. 
They  consisted  of  a  force  of  40  British  regulars, 
200  Canadians,  and  a  few  Indians. 

"  Two  to  one  of  the  Americans,  if  not  more !" 
exclaimed  Lucilla. 

"Yes,"  said  her  father,  "but  so  brave  were 
our  men  that  they  fought  for  an  hour  and 
three-quarters  before  they  would  surrender. 
At  last,  however,  they  all  deserted  but  28, 
7  of  whom  were  wounded,  and  Allen  agreed 
to  surrender  upon  being  promised  honorable 
terms." 

"The  prisoners  were  marched  to  Montreal 
and  well  treated  until  General  Prescott  got 
them  in  his  custody,  when  he  behaved  toward 
them  in  the  most  brutal  manner.  Learning 
that  Allen  was  the  man  who  captured  Ticon- 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  167 

deroga,  he  flew  into  a  rage,  threatened  him  with 
a  halter,  and  ordered  him  to  be  bound  hand 
and  foot  in  irons  and  placed  on  board  the 
war  schooner  Gaspee.  A  bar  of  iron  eight 
feet  long  was  attached  to  his  fetters,  his  fellow- 
prisoners  were  fastened  together  in  pairs  with 
handcuffs,  and  all  were  thrust  into  the  lowest 
part  of  the  ship,  where  they  were  allowed 
neither  bed  nor  seat." 

"Oh,  papa!  what  a  monster  of  cruelty  that 
Prescott  must  have  been !"  exclaimed  Lucilla. 
"  Was  he  not  the  same  Prescott  who  had  com 
mand  of  the  British  troops  in  Rhode  Island 
Home  two  years  later?" 

"  The  very  same ;  a  most  unfit  man  for  such 
a  position  as  he  held  then  and  there.  A 
cowardly  wretch,  a  petty  tvrant,  with  a  callous 
heart,  a  narrow  mind,  and  utterly  destitute  of 
benevolence  or  charity." 

"But  what  became  of  Allen  finally,  papa? 
If  I  ever  knew,  I  have  forgotten." 

"  He  was  kept  for  five  weeks  in  that  deplor 
able  condition,  at  Montreal,  on  board  the 
Gaspee;  then  the  vessel  was  sent  down  to 
Quebec,  and  he  was  put  on  board  of  another 
vessel,  where  he  was  treated  humanely.  He 
was  sent  to  England  to  be  tried  for  treason,  and 
landed  at  Falmouth,  where  his  grotesque  garb 
attracted  a  great  deal  of  attention.  He  was 


168  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

afterward  sent  to  Halifax,  Nova  Scotia,  and 
thence  to  New  York,  where,  in  May  1778,  he 
was  exchanged  for  Colonel  Campbell." 

"There  is  not  nearly  so  much  to  be  seen 
here  as  in  Quebec,  is  there,  papa?"  she 
asked. 

"  No,"  he  replied,  "  and  we  will  not  stay  very- 
long  here,  but  will  spend  more  of  our  time 
there." 

"Oh,  papa,  didn't  General  Montgomery  come 
to  Montreal  some  time  after  the  events  you 
have  been  telling  of?" 

"Yes;  after  the  fall  of  St.  John's.  Carle- 
ton  knew  the  place  was  weak,  and  at  once 
retreated  on  board  of  one  of  a  number  of  small 
vessels  lying  in  the  river,  as  did  General  Pres- 
cott,  several  officers,  and  120  private  soldiers. 
But  Montgomery,  as  soon  as  he  was  aware  that 
they  were  trying  to  flee,  sent  Colonel  Baston 
with  continental  troops,  cannon,  and  armed  gon- 
dclas  to  the  mouth  of  the  Sorel,  where  they  were 
posted  so  advantageously  that  the  British  fleet 
could  not  pass,  so  were  compelled  to  surrender. 
But  Carleton  escaped,  in  a  boat  with  muffled 
oars,  past  the  American  post  to  Three  Rivers, 
from  which  place  he  soon  reached  Quebec  in 
safety." 

"What  a  pity!  I  wish  the  Americans  had 
been  more  watchful!"  exclaimed  Lucilla. 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  169 

"  They  were  watchful  in  their  guard  boats," 
replied  her  father,  "  but  a  dark  night  and  secret 
way  were  in  Carleton's  favor.  They  secured 
Prescott,  who  certainly  richly  deserved  to  be 
made  prisoner  and  treated  far  worse  than  he  was, 
but  that  was  by  no  means  the  loss  to  the  British 
that  the  taking  of  Carleton  would  have  been, 
for  Prescott's  conduct  on  many  occasions  made 
him  a  disgrace  to  their  army.  But  we  have 
had  a  long  talk,  and  there  is  the  call  to  break 
fast." 

In  spite  of  the  drip  and  splash  of  the  rain 
outside  the  faces  that  surrounded  the  breakfast 
table  were  bright  and  cheery. 

"There  will  be  no  going  ashore  to-day,  I 
presume,"  remarked  Grandma  Elsie,  when  the 
blessing  had  been  asked,  and  the  filling  of  plates 
and  coffee  cups  had  begun. 

"I  do  not  despair  of  it,  mother,"  returned  the 
captain,  in  cheerful  tones.  "  It  does  not  seem 
to  me  like  a  settled  rain.  I  think  it  will  clear 
by  noon,  and  that  then  we  can  go  about  the 
city  and  its  environs  in  carriages." 

"Yes,"  said  Mr.  Dinsmore,  "though  our 
own  are  beyond  reach  at  present,  it  is  alto 
gether  likely  the  city,  in  the  persons  of  some  of 
its  inhabitants,  supplies  vehicles  for  those  will 
ing  to  pay  for  their  use." 

"No  doubt  of  it,"  said  the  captain. 


170  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

"  Where  is  Walter,  mamma?"  queried  Violet, 
noticing  that  the  boy's  seat  was  unoccupied. 

"I  do  not  know.  I  fear  he  has  overslept 
himself,"  replied  her  mother. 

"No,  mother,"  said  the  captain;  "he  wat 
early  on  deck  and  begged  permission  of  me  to 
go  into  the  city  in  quest  of  our  mail.  Ah,  here 
he  comes,"  as  a  blithe  boyish  voice  was  heard 
at  the  head  of  the  companion-way. 

In  another  moment  the  lad  entered,  looking 
rosy  and  exultant. 

"Mail  for  us  all,  not  to  speak  of  telegrams," 
he  said,  in  lively  tones,  emptying  his  pockets 
as  he  spoke,  and  handing  letters  and  papers  to 
one  and  another.  "Mamma,  your  share  is  a 
large  one,  as  it  ought  to  be ;  the  telegram,  from 
my  brothers,  I  presume,  to  announce  their  safe 
arrival  at  home ;  it  is  the  one  at  the  top  of  the 
pile,  as  you  may  see,"  handing  her  a  number 
of  missives. 

"Yes;  and  most  satisfactory,"  she  said, 
with  a  smile  and  a  sigh  of  relief,  as  she  opened 
and  read  it  at  a  glance.  "'Just  arrived  safely. 
Hear  that  all  the  relatives  are  well.'  Ah,  what 
cause  for  gratitude  to  the  Giver  of  all  good!" 
she  exclaimed  low  and  feelingly.  "  There  have 
been  so  many  accidents,  yet  we  and  our  dear 
ones  have  escaped  them  all." 

"It   is   indeed   a   cause   for  gratitude,"   re« 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  171 

spondee!  her  father.  "We  will  trust  in  Him 
and  not  be  afraid;  for  wherever  we  go  we  are 
under  His  kind  care  and  protection." 

"A  most  comforting  and  cheering  thought," 
said  the  captain. 

Grandma  Elsie  was  opening  a  letter  post 
marked  Newport,  R.  I. 

" Ah,  this  is  from  our  dear  Molly!"  she  said. 
"She  dates  'Paradise  Valley.'  Where  is 
that?" 

"  It  is  on  the  island  of  Rhode  Island,  a  few 
miles  out  from  the  City  of  Newport,"  replied 
the  captain. 

"Ah,  yes;  so  she  tells  me,"  responded  Mrs. 
Travilla,  her  eyes  still  upon  the  letter.  "  They 
have  taken  a  furnished  house  for  some  months, 
there  is  another  within  a  few  yards  of  it,  now 
empty,  and  they  want  us  all  to  come  there, 
help  fill  the  two,  and  have  a  pleasant  time  for 
a  few  days,  or  weeks,  enjoying  the  lovely 
scenery,  the  sea  breeze,  and  each  other's 
society.  What  do  you  all  say  to  the  propo 
sition?" 

"1  think  we  might  spend  a  short  time  as 
pleasantly  there  as  anywhere  else,"  said  Mr. 
Dinsmore. 

"As  I  do,"  said  his  wife. 

"  I  only  wish  I  could  be  of  the  party,"  sighed 
Walter,  assuming  a  very  depressed  expression 


ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

of  countenance;  "but  my  college  duties  will 
claim  my  attention  before  that. " 

"For  which  you  may  be  very  thankful, 
laddie,"  said  his  sister  Rose.  "Remember  it 
is  not  every  boy — or  young  man — who  attains 
to  the  blessing  of  a  college  education,  without 
having  to  earn  it  by  hard  work." 

"I  expect  and  intend  to  do  hard  work,"  re 
turned  Walter,  stirring  his  coffee,  for  he  had 
seated  himself  and  was  beginning  a  hearty 
breakfast. 

"  On  which  side  is  your  vote  to  be  cast,  Vio 
let,  my  dear?"  asked  the  captain  in  his  pleasant 
tones,  turning  inquiringly  to  his  young  wife. 

"  I  think  a  brief  visit  there,  on  our  homeward 
route,  might  be  very  enjoyable,"  she  replied; 
"but  if  my  husband  prefers  to  go  directly 
home  I  shall  be  entirely  content." 

"Thank  you,  my  dear.  I  do  not  see  any 
need  of  excessive  haste  in  returning  home,  and 
it  shall  be  just  as  you  say,  whether  we  accept 
Cousin  Molly's  invitation  or  decline  it." 

"  Then  suppose  we  leave  it  to  Lu  and  Gracie 
to  say  what  shall  be  done,  so  far  as  our  imme 
diate  family  is  concerned." 

"Very  well,"  he  said.  "Speak  freely, 
daughters,  in  regard  to  your  preferences  for 
accepting  this  invitation  or  going  directly 
home  after  visiting  Quebec." 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  173 

"I  shall  be  perfectly  satisfied  with  my 
father's  decision,"  said  Lueilla,  with  a  smiling 
look  up  into  his  face.  "I  have  no  doubt  the 
little  visit  to  Paradise  Valley  would  prove  very 
enjoyable,  yet  home  is  to  me  the  sweetest  place 
on  earth,  and  we  have  been  away  from  it  a 
good  many  weeks  already." 

Captain  Raymond  looked  not  ill  pleased  with 
her  reply,  but  turned  inquiringly  to  Grace. 

"I  can  echo  my  sister's  sentiments,  father 
dear,"  she  said,  with  her  own  sweet  smile; 
"keep  me  with  you  and  I  shall  be  content  and 
happy  wherever  that  may  be." 

The  captain's  answering  smile  seemed  to  say 
he  thought  no  other  man  had  daughters  quite 
equal  to  his,  but  turning  to  Evelyn  he  asked 
what  were  her  wishes  in  regard  to  the  matter. 

"  I  have  no  doubt  a  visit  to  Paradise  Valley 
would  be  very  enjoyable,  captain,"  she  replied, 
with  a  smile,  "that  is,  if  the  place  is  at  all  sug 
gestive  of  the  name,  but  like  your  daughters,  I 
shall  be  perfectly  contented  whether  we  stop 
there  for  a  time  or  go  on  directly  home." 

"There!"  exclaimed  Rosie,  " were  ever  such 
accommodating  girls  seen  before?  Now, 
Brother  Levis,  when  I  am  asked  that  question 
I  shall  give  a  different  reply,  if  only  to  furnish 
a  trifle  of  the  spice  of  variety." 

"Consider  it  asked  then,   my  dear  young 


174  ELSIE' 8  JOURNEY 

sister,"  he  returned,  with  assumed  gravity,  but 
a  twinkle  of  fun  in  his  eye. 

"I  do,  and  my  answer  is,  that  I  am  decidedly 
in  favor  of  accepting  Cousin  Molly's  invitation. 
I  have  a  great  desire  to  see  Paradise,  since  the 
thing  may  be  so  easily  accomplished,  and  no 
body  seems  to  have  any  objection  to  going 
there." 

"Then  we  will  consider  the  question  decided 
in  the  affirmative,"  said  the  captain,  "and 
make  our  arrangements  accordingly." 

"Not  allowing  among  them  an  avoidance  of 
Quebec,  I  trust,"  said  Walter;  "for  I  own  that 
I  very  much  want  to  see  that  old  city." 

"Set  your  mind  at  rest  on  that  point,  my 
boy,"  said  the  captain  pleasantly;  "I  hardly 
think  there  is  one  of  us  who  would  willingly 
miss  that  visit." 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  you  say  that,  captain," 
said  Evelyn,  "  for  I,  for  one,  am  looking  forward 
to  our  visit  there  with  a  great  deal  of  interest." 

The  little  ones  now  asked  to  be  excused,  and 
went  away  to  their  plays,  but  the  others  sat 
about  the  table  reading  their  letters — now  and 
then  a  few  sentences  aloud,  for  the  benefit  of 
the  company — until  Walter  had  finished  his 
meal,  when  they  all  gathered  in  the  saloon  for 
their  regular  morning  service  of  prayer,  Bible 
reading,  and  sacred  song. 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  175 

When  that  duty  had  been  duly  attended  to, 
the  gentlemen  and  some  of  the  ladies  went 
upon  deck  for  a  time.  Rain  was  still  falling, 
but  less  heavily  than  in  the  earlier  hours,  an«J 
Captain  Raymond  and  Mr.  Dinsmore  decided 
to  pay  a  visit  to  the  city,  promising  to  return 
in  an  hour  or  two,  bringing  vehicles  for  a  drive, 
in  case  the  weather  should  so  improve  that  a 
little  excursion  might  be  taken  with  safety  and 
pleasure. 

Mrs.  Travilla,  Violet,  and  the  young  girls 
and  Walter  stood  upon  the  deck,  watching 
t/heir  departure. 

"I  hope  they  may  enjoy  themselves,  but  I 
shouldn't  like  to  walk  out  in  this  drizzle"  sighed 
Grace.  Then  in  a  lower,  livelier  tone,  "  Mamma, 
are  you  not  proud  of  your  husband?  I  think 
he  is  very  handsome,  even  in  that  unbecoming 
waterproof  coat." 

"And  I  am  decidedly  of  the  opinion  that 
everything  becomes  him,"  returned  Violet,  with 
a  low,  pleased  laugh.  "  Well,  mamma  and  you 
girls,  how  shall  we  pass  the  morning?  It  really 
seems  to  me  that  the  saloon  is  more  inviting 
and  comfortable  at  present  than  the  deck." 

The  others  agreed  with  her,  and  all  went 
below,  where  they  found  the  two  little  ones 
begging  Grandma  Rose  for  a  story  to  while 
away  the  time. 


176  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY. 

"Ah,"  she  said,  "here  comes  your  Grandma 
Elsie,  who  is  far  better  than  I  am  at  that 
business. 

"Oh,  yes!"  cried  little  Elsie.  "Grandma, 
won't  you  please  tell  us  now  about  things  that 
have  happened  at  Montreal  and  Quebec?" 

"Yes,  dear;  I  promised  you,  and  there  will 
be  no  better  time  than  this  for  the  telling  of 
the  story,"  Mrs.  Travilla  answered  pleasantly, 
as  she  seated  herself  and  took  up  her  fancy 
work,  while  the  children  drew  their  chairs  to  her 
side,  each  young  face  full  of  eager  expectancy. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

GRANDMA  ELSIE  took  a  moment  to  collect  her 
thoughts,  then  gave  the  little  ones  very  much 
the  same  story  of  the  settlement  and  after-his 
tory  of  Montreal  that  Lucilla  had  heard  from 
their  father  earlier  in  the  day.  From  that  she 
went  on  to  give  a  similar  account  of  Quebec. 

"  The  city,"  she  said,  "  is  built  upon  a  steep 
promontory,  where  two  rivers,  the  St.  Law 
rence,  on  which  we  now  are,  and  the  St. 
Charles  meet.  There  was  formerly  an  Indian 
village  there  called  Stadacona.  Jacques  Car- 
tier,  the  same  person  I  have  been  telling  you 
about  as  the  first  white  man  who  visited  this 
spot  where  Montreal  now  stands,  discovered 
that  Indian  village  in  the  same  year.  But  the 
city  of  Quebec  was  not  founded  until  1608; 
and  not  by  Cartier,  but  by  another  man  named 
Champlain,  who  on  the  third  day  of  July  of 
that  year  raised  over  it  a  white  flag.  Soon 
afterward  rude  cottages  were  built,  a  few  acres 
of  ground  cleared,  and  one  or  two  gardens  were 
planted," 

177 


1?8  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

"Is  that  all  of  it  there  is  now,  grandma?" 
asked  Elsie. 

"Oh,  no,  my  child!  there  is  a  city  with  a 
very  strong  fortress;  there  are  colleges  and 
churches ;  there  is  a  building  yard  for  vessels, 
where  thirty  or  forty  are  built  every  year. 
Quebec  has  a  very  fine  harbor,  where  many 
vessels  can  ride  at  anchor  at  the  same  time, 
and  I  have  read  that  from  fourteen  hundred  to 
two  thousand  come  in  every  year  from  the 
ocean." 

"  Just  to  ride  there,  grandma?"  asked  Neddie, 
with  grave  earnestness.  Then  he  wondered 
why  grandma  smiled  at  his  query  and  every 
body  else  laughed. 

"No,  sonnie,"Mrs.  Travilla  replied,  "but  to 
trade.  They  bring  goods  to  the  people — silk, 
cotton,  woolen;  salt  too,  coal,  and  hardware. 
And  they  carry  away  what  the  folks  in  Canada 
have  to  sell,  which  is  mostly  timber." 

"Did  you  say  French  folks  live  there,  grand 
ma?"  asked  Elsie. 

"Yes;  it  was  built  by  the  French  in  the  first 
place,  but  taken  from  them  by  the  English  in 
1759." 

"That  was  before  our  Revolution,  wasn't  it, 
grandma?" 

"Yes;  about  sixteen  years  earlier." 

"Please  tell  about  it,  grandma." 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  179 

Grandma  kindly  complied. 

"  There  was  war  at  that  time  between  England 
and  France,"  she  said,  "  and,  for  that  reason,  war 
between  the  English  and  French  colonies  of 
America.  The  French  built  a  strong  fortress 
on  the  island  of  Cape  Breton,  which  is  at  the 
mouth  of  this,  the  St.  Lawrence  River;  they 
began  also  to  build  forts  along  the  lakes  and 
the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  Rivers.  Fleets  and 
armies  came  over  from  Europe,  and  the  English 
and  French  colonists,  on  this  side  of  the  ocean, 
formed  armies  and  engaged  Indians  to  help 
them  fight  each  other.  The  English  attacked 
the  French  fortress  of  Louisburgh  on  Cape 
Breton  Island,  and  took  it.  The^n  Wolfe,  who 
was  in  command,  put  his  troops  on  board  of 
vessels,  and  went  on  up  the  river  as  far  as  the 
island  of  Orleans,  a  few  miles  below  Quebec. 
There  they  built  batteries  for  guns,  intending 
to  fire  upon  Quebec,  where  was  the  French 
general,  Montcalm,  with  an  army  of  13,000 
men;  some  of  them  regulars,  the  rest  Cana 
dians  and  Indians. 

"But  I  will  not  go  into  all  the  particulars, 
as  you  two  little  ones  could  hardly  understand 
them  well  enough  to  be  much  interested." 

"Oh,  yes,  grandma,  please  go  on,"  exclaimed 
Elsie. 

"The  English  were  unsuccessful  at  first,  if 


180  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

I  remember  right,  mamma?"  remarked  Rosie 
inquiringly. 

"Yes,"  replied  her  mother.  "It  was  nearly 
night  when  their  divisions  joined,  and  the  gren 
adiers  were  so  impatient  that  they  charged 
madly  upon  the  works  of  the  French  before 
the  other  troops  had  time  to  f  orm  and  be  ready 
to  sustain  them.  As  a  natural  consequence 
they  were  driven  back  to  the  beach  with  severe 
loss,  where  they  sought  shelter  behind  a 
redoubt  abandoned  by  the  French. 

"A  storm  was  brewing,  and  the  French  kept 
up  a  galling  fire,  until  it  burst  upon  their  foes 
with  great  fury.  The  tide  from  the  ocean 
came  roaring  up  against  the  current  of  the 
river  with  unusual  strength,  and  the  British 
were  obliged  to  retreat  to  their  camp  across 
the  Montmorency,  to  avoid  being  caught  in  the 
raging  waters  and  drowned.  They  had  lost 
180  killed  and  650  wounded. 

"Wolfe,  who  was  not  a  strong,  healthy  man, 
was  so  distressed  over  the  calamity  that  he 
became  really  ill.  Of  course  he  was  much 
fatigued,  and  that,  joined  to  distress  of  mind, 
brought  on  a  fever  and  other  illness  that  nearly 
cost  him  his  life.  It  was  almost  a  month  before 
he  was  able  to  resume  command. 

"When  sufficiently  recovered  to  write  a 
letter,  he  sent  an  almost  despairing  one  to  Pitt, 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  181 

but  at  its  close  said  he  would  do  his  best. 
Then  he  and  Admiral  Saunders  contrived  their 
plan  for  scaling  the  Heights  of  Abraham,  and 
so  getting  possession  of  the  elevated  plateau  at 
the  back  of  the  city,  where  the  fortifications 
were  weakest,  the  French  engineers  having 
trusted  for  their  defence  to  the  precipices  and 
the  river  below. 

"  Montcalm  and  his  men  saw  that  the  Eng 
lish  camp  was  broken  up,  and  that  the  troops 
were  conveyed  across  to  Point  Levi,  then  some 
distance  up  the  river,  by  a  part  of  their  fleet, 
while  the  rest  of  it  remained  behind  to  feign 
an  attack  upon  the  intrenchment  at  Beauport. 
Montcalm,  though  he  saw  these  movements, 
was  at  a  loss  to  understand  them ;  so  he  remained 
in  his  camp,  while  another  officer  was  stationed 
a  little  above  the  Plains  of  Abraham,  to  watch 
that  part  of  the  English  fleet  that  had  sailed  up 
the  river. 

"  At  night  the  troops  were  all  embarked  in 
flat  boats  and  proceeded  up  the  river  with  the 
tide.  The  French  saw  them,  and  marched  up 
the  shore  to  prevent  them  from  landing. 
Toward  daylight  the  boats  moved  cautiously 
down  the  river,  with  muffled  oars,  passing  the 
French  without  being  perceived,  and  the  troops 
landed  safely  in  a  cove  below.  They  were  all 
OP  shore  by  daylight. 


182  ELSIE "8  JOURNEY 

"Then  the  light  infantry  scrambled  up  the 
precipice  and  dispersed  a  French  guard 
stationed  there,  while  the  rest  of  the  army 
climbed  up  a  winding  and  steep  ravine.  Then 
another  division  landed,  and  before  sunrise 
five  thousand  British  troops  were  drawn  up  in 
battle  array  on  the  Plains  of  Abraham,  three 
hundred  feet  above  the  St.  Lawrence." 

"  How  surprised  the  French  must  have  been !" 
exclaimed  Lucilla. 

"Yes,"  said  Mrs.  Travilla,  "the  first  intima 
tion  Montcalm  had  of  their  intentions  was  the 
sight  of  the  English  army  drawn  up  there,  on 
what  he  had  doubtless  deemed  those  inacces 
sible  heights.  He  at  once  perceived  that  this 
exposed  his  garrison  and  the  city  to  imminent 
danger,  and  immediately  marched  his  whole 
army  across  the  St.  Charles  to  attack  the 
enemy. 

"  It  was  about  ten  o'clock  when  he  got  his 
troops  there  and  into  battle  line.  He  had  two 
field-pieces,  while  the  English  had  but  one; 
only  a  light  six-pounder  which  some  sailors  had 
dragged  up  the  ravine  about  eight  o'clock  that 
morning. 

"At  that  time  the  plains  had  no  fences  or 
inclosures,  and  extended  to  the  walls  of  the  city 
on  the  St.  Louis  side,  their  surface  being  dotted 
over  with  bushes  which  furnished  places  of 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  183 

concealment  for  the  French  and  Indian  marks 
men.  I  will  not  attempt  to  describe  the  rela 
tive  positions  of  the  two  armies,  which  you 
little  ones  would  hardly  understand.  I  will 
only  say  that  Wolfe  placed  himself  on  the 
right,  at  the  head  of  a  regiment  of  grenadiers 
who  were  burning  to  avenge  their  defeat  at 
the  Montmorency,  and  Montcalm  was  on  the 
left  of  the  French,  at  the  head  of  his  regiments. 

"  Wolfe  ordered  bis  men  to  load  their  pieces 
with  two  bullets  each  and  reserve  their  fire 
until  the  French  should  be  within  forty  yards 
of  them,  an  order  which  every  man  was  care 
ful  to  obey. 

"The  English  fired  several  rounds,  then 
charged  furiously  with  their  bayonets.  Wolfe 
was  urging  them  on,  when  some  Canadians 
singled  him  out  and  fired,  slightly  wounding 
him  in  the  wrist.  He  wound  his  handkerchief 
about  it  and  still  went  on,  cheering  his  men,  but 
quickly  received  another  wound  in  the  groin; 
then  another  struck  him  in  the  breast,  and  he 
fell  to  the  ground  mortally  wounded.  But  he 
seemed  hardly  to  think  of  himself,  only  of  his 
troops  and  gaining  the  victory.  'Support  me; 
let  not  my  brave  soldiers  see  me  drop,'  he  said 
to  an  officer  near  him.  'The  day  is  ours — keep 
It.'  Then  they  carried  him  to  the  rear  while 
kis  troops  were  still  charging.  The  officer  OD 


184  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

whose  shoulder  he  was  leaning  cried  out,  'They 
run,  they  run!*  At  that  the  light  came  back 
into  the  dim  eyes  of  the  dying  hero  and  he 
asked,  'Who  run?'  'The  enemy,  sir;  they  give 
way  everywhere,*  replied  the  officer.  'What! 
do  they  run  already?'  asked  the  feeble,  dying 
voice.  'Go  to  Colonel  Preston  and  tell  him  to 
march  Webb's  regiment  immediately  to  the 
bridge  over  the  St.  Charles,  and  cut  off  the 
fugitives'  retreat.  Now,  God  be  praised,  I 
die  happy!'  He  spoke  no  more,  but  died,  with 
his  sorrowing  companions  about  him,  just  in 
the  moment  of  victory.  Montcalm  too  was 
mortally  wounded  in  that  battle,  and  died  the 
next  morning  about  five  o'clock." 

"What  a  pity!"  exclaimed  little  Ned. 
"What  makes  men  fight  so,  grandma?" 

"  If  there  were  no  sin  there  would  be  no  fight 
ing,"  Grandma  Elsie  replied.  "There  is  none 
in  heaven;  there  all  is  peace  and  joy  and 
love." 

"Is  it  bad  men  that  fight,  grandma?" 

"Not  quite  always;  sometimes  a  good  ma^ 
has  to  fight  to  protect  his  wife  and  children, 
or  other  helpless  ones,  from  being  injured  by  a 
bad  man.  If  a  bad  man  were  trying  to  hurt 
your  mamma,  or  one  of  your  sisters,  it  would 
be  right  for  your  papa  to  prevent  him,  even  if 
he  had  to  hurt  him  a  great  deal  in  doing  so." 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  185 

"Oh,  yes;  and  when  I  grow  big  I  won't  let 
anybody  hurt  my  dear  mamma  or  sisters.  I'll 
help  papa  drive  'em  away  if  they  try  to." 

"  Please,  grandma,  tell  some  more,"  entreated 
Elsie. 

"Yes,  dear,"  said  grandma.  "The  British 
have  kept  Quebec  ever  since  they  took  it  that 
time,  and  there  was  no  more  fighting  there  till 
our  Revolutionary  war  began  some  sixteen 
years  later:  the  19th  of  April,  1775.  In  the  fall 
of  that  year  troops  were  sent  to  Canada ;  some 
under  Ethan  Allen,  as  you  have  already 
learned,  some  under  Montgomery,  and  others 
commanded  by  Arnold. 

"They,  poor  fellows,  had  dreadful  times 
pushing  their  way  through  the  wilderness, 
often  suffering  for  lack  of  sufficient  food  and 
raiment,  braving  storms  and  bitter  cold.  I 
cannot  tell  you  the  whole  sad  story  now,  but 
you  can  read  it  when  you  are  older.  Arnold 
and  his  men  reached  Quebec  first,  but  were 
not  strong  enough  to  attack  it,  and  the  garrison 
would  not  come  out  and  fight  them  on  the 
plains.  Then  Arnold,  inspecting  his  arms, 
found  that  most  of  his  cartridges  were  spoiled, 
therefore  he  retreated  to  a  place  twenty  miles 
distant.  There,  on  the  1st  of  December,  he 
was  joined  by  Montgomery  and  his  troops; 
but  very  few  of  them  were  fit  for  fighting, 


186  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

many  being  sick;  also  a  good  many  had 
deserted,  so  that  the  force  was  small  indeed — 
only  about  nine  hundred  men." 

"What's    desert,   grandma,    to    run    awaj 
without  leave?"  asked  Neddie. 

"Yes,"  she  replied;  "and  the^  generally 
shoot  a  soldier  for  it." 

"  I  think  I  won't  be  a  soldier  when  I  get  big," 
said  the  little  fellow  reflectively;  "'cause  I 
might  get  scared  and  run  away  and  the  other 
fellows  might  catch  me  and  shoot  me;  and 
then  papa  and  mamma  would  feel  very  sorry; 
wouldn't  they,  grandma?" 

"Yes,  indeed!  and  so  would  a  good  many 
other  folks,  grandma  for  one,"  she  replied, 
dropping  her  work  to  put  an  arm  about  him, 
stroking  his  hair  with  the  other  hand,  patting 
his  rosy  cheek,  and  kissing  him  again  and 
again.  "  But  we  hope  our  little  boy  will  make  a 
good  and  brave  man,  like  his  father,  and  never 
play  the  coward  by  running  away  from  danger 
ous  duty." 

"  Maxie,  my  big  brother,  wouldn't,  grandma." 

"No,  I  feel  very  sure  Max  would  fight  for 
the  right  and  his  dear  native  land." 

"  So  do  I,"  said  Lucilla.  "  Max  is  very  much 
like  our  father  in  both  looks  and  character; 
though  papa  says  Max  has  a  better  temper  than 
his.  I  never  saw  papa  show  a  bad  temper,  but 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  187 

he  says  he  has  one  and  that  that's  where  I  get 
mine." 

"Now,  Lu,  don't  talk  in  that  way  about 
yourself,"  said  Grace.  "I've  hardly  seen  you 
show  any  temper  at  all  for  years  past.  If  you 
got  it  from  papa,  you  got  the  power  of  con 
trolling  it  too,  from  him,  I  think." 

At  that  moment  Walter  came  hurrying  down 
from  the  deck,  whither  he  had  gone  shortly 
before,  his  face  full  of  joyous  excitement. 

"Folks,"  he  cried,  "do  you  know  that  it  is 
clearing  off?  The  sun  is  out  and  the  clouds 
are  retreating  rapidly  before  it.  Surely  the 
change  will  bring  grandpa  and  the  captain  back 
in  haste,  after  the  rest  of  us.  So  I  think  we 
should  better  be  making  our  preparations  as 
fast  as  possible." 

"Why,  my  dear  young  brother,"  laughed 
Rosie,  "one  would  imagine  our  lives  or  for 
tunes,  one  or  both,  depended  on  our  seeing  the 
sights  of  Montreal  to-day." 

"Very  well,  my  wise  sister,  you  can  stay 
behind,  if  you  wish,"  laughed  the  lad;  "but 
I'm  bound  to  make  one  of  the  exploring  party. 
And  there !  they  have  come,  for  I  hear  Brother 
Levis'  voice  on  deck." 

The  words  had  scarcely  left  his  lips  when 
Captain  Raymond's  quick,  manly  step  was 
heard  coming  down  the  companion-way;  then 


188  ELSIE "S  JOURNEY. 

his  pleasant  voice,  saying,  "  Everybody  who 
wants  to  see  Montreal  to-day  must  make  haste 
to  don  hat  and  coat  or  shawl,  for  the  air  will 
be  quite  cool  in  driving." 

"Oh,  have  you  brought  a  carriage  for  us, 
papa?"  asked  little  Elsie. 

"Yes,"  he  replied;  "we  have  three  of  what 
they  call  caliches  out  here  on  the  wharf. 
They  are  pleasant  vehicles  to  ride  in,  and  the 
three  will  hold  us  all  very  comfortably.  We 
will  not  want  to  stop  anywhere  for  dinner," 
he  continued  turning  to  Violet,  "so  I  have 
ordered  a  lunch  put  up  for  each  caliche." 

"My  dear,  you  think  of  everything,"  she 
said,  with  an  admiring  affectionate  look  up  into 
his  face.  "  We  will  be  ready  in  ten  minutes ; 
we  need  no  preparations  but  what  you  have 
advised.'* 


CHAPTER 

THE  sun  had  already  set  when  out  (fiends 
returned  to  the  Dolphin.  They  had  greatly 
enjoyed  their  drive  and  the  views  of  the  places 
of  interest  visited,  but  were  weary  enough  to  be 
glad  to  find  themselves  again  seated  upon  the 
deck  of  their  floating  home.  The  little  ones 
were  given  a  simple  meal  and  sent  to  their 
berths,  then  the  elder  people  sat  down  to  a 
more  substantial  one,  over  which  they  chatted 
and  laughed,  discussing  with  much  enjoyment 
the  sights  of  the  day  and  the  historical  events 
with  which  they  were  connected. 

Then  they  talked  of  Quebec  and  upon  what 
parts  of  it  they  should  bestow  most  atten 
tion,  as  they  could  tarry  there  for  but  a  short 
time. 

"Of  course  we  must  visit  the  Heights  of 
Abraham,  whatever  else  we  neglect,"  remarked 
Rosie. 

"Yes,"  said  Walter,  "and  Palace  Gate, 
Cape  Diamond,  and  the  citadel  that  crowns  it. 
I  should  like  to  see  it,  not  only  for  the  histori 
cal  associations,  but  also  because  it  is  said  to 

189 


190  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

be  the  most  impregnable  fortress  on  the  conti 
nent  of  America." 

"And  I,  for  the  beautiful  view  it  commands 
of  what  is  called  the  most  magnificent  scenery 
on  this  continent,  if  not  in  the  world,"  added 
Violet. 

"It  must  be  very  large,"  remarked  Lucilla, 
u  for  I  remember  reading  that,  with  its  ravelins, 
it  covers  about  forty  acres.  We  will  go  to 
see  it,  papa,  will  we  not?" 

"I  think  so;  it  would  hardly  do  to  visit 
Quebec  and  neglect  so  important  a  place." 

"It  was  under  Cape  Diamond  that  Mont 
gomery  fell,  if  I  remember  right,"  remarked 
Evelyn  Leland. 

"Yes,"  replied  the  captain;  "on  the  31st  of 
December,  1775.  At  two  o'clock  on  that  morn 
ing  his  troops  paraded  in  three  divisions;  a 
part  at  Holland  House  under  the  direct  com 
mand  of  Montgomery.  That  division,  with 
Montgomery  at  the  head,  passed  down  from  the 
Plains  of  Abraham  to  Wolf's  Cove,  then  along 
the  margin  of  the  river  under  Cape  Diamond. 
It  was  a  dark,  stormy  morning,  the  snow  fall 
ing  fast  and  a  fierce  wind  piling  it  in  heaps- 
frightful  drifts.  Through  that  darkness  and 
storm  Montgomery  led  his  men  to  the  narrowest 
point  under  the  cape,  where,  on  the  top  of  the 
precipice,  the  enemy  had  planted  a  battery  of 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  191 

three-pounders.  The  post  was  in  charge  of  a 
Canadian  with  thirty-eight  militiamen,  besides 
nine  British  seamen  under  the  master  of  a  trans 
port,  to  work  the  guns.  These  men  were  awake 
and  on  the  watch,  perfectly  silent;  each  artil 
leryman  with  a  lighted  match  in  his  hand. 
Probably  from  their  silence  Montgomery 
thought  they  were  asleep.  But  they  were 
waiting  and  listening. 

"Barnsfare  could  see  faintly  through  the  dim 
light  and  drifting  snow,  the  movements  of  the 
Americans,  and  when  they  drew  near,  and  Mont 
gomery  called  out  to  his  troops,  'Men  of  New 
York,  you  will  not  fear  to  follow  where  your 
general  leads :  March  on!'  rushing,  as  he  spoke, 
over  heaps  of  snow  and  ice  to  charge  the 
battery.  Barnsfare  heard,  gave  his  men  the 
word,  and  they  sent  a  discharge  of  grape-shot, 
sweeping  down  the  American  ranks  with 
terrible  effect. 

"Montgomery,  his  aid,  Major  M'Phunn, 
Captain  Cheesman,  and  several  privates  were 
killed,  and  the  rest,  appalled  at  the  disaster 
and  the  death  of  their  brave  commander,  fled 
back  to  Wolf's  Cove." 

"How  dreadful!"  sighed  Grace.  "Mont 
gomery's  death  alone  was  a  great  loss  to  our 
country,  was  it  not,  papa?" 

"It    was    indeed!    throughout    the    whole 


192  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

country  his  death  was  felt  to  be  a  great 
calamity,  and  even  in  England,  upon  the  floor 
of  Parliament,  his  praises  were  sounded  by 
Burke,  Chatham,  and  Barre." 

"Was  he  buried  there — in  Canada?"  she 
asked. 

"Yes;  within  the  wall  tnat  surrounded  a 
powder  magazine,  near  the  ramparts  on  St. 
Louis  Street.  There  his  body  remained  for 
forty-two  years,  when  it  was  removed  to  New 
York  and  reinterred  near  the  monument  erected 
to  his  memory  by  the  United  States. 

"While  all  this  was  going  on  at  Cape 
Diamond,  Arnold  and  his  division  were  passing 
along  the  St.  Charles.  The  snow  was  worse 
drifted  there  than  on  the  St.  Lawrence;  but 
he  and  his  men  pressed  on  till  they  reached  a 
narrow  street,  where,  under  a  high  jutting 
rock,  the  enemy  had  a  two-gun  picketed  battery 
well  manned.  Like  Montgomery  he  headed  his 
men,  leading  Lamb's  artillery  to  the  attack, 
and  while  doing  so  received  a  very  bad  wound 
in  the  knee.  He  had  to  be  carried  to  the 
general  hospital,  and  there  heard  the  sad  news 
of  Montgomery's  death. 

"Morgan  now  took  command  of  Arnold's 
division,  and  for  more  than  an  hour  the  Ameri 
cans  withstood  the  storm  of  musket  balls  and 
grape-shot  at  the  first  barrier,  and  finally  carried 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  193 

it,  the  deadly  aim  of  the  riflemen  causing  great 
consternation  among  the  ranks  of  the  British 
and  Canadians.  Then  they  rushed  on  to  the 
second,  where  they  fought  fiercely  for  three 
hours,  many  being  killed  on  both  sides. 

"Our  men  finally  captured  the  barrier,  and 
were  preparing  to  rush  into  the  town,  when 
Carleton  sent  a  large  detachment  from  his  gar 
rison,  through  Palace  Gate,  to  attack  them  ia 
the  rear.  He  and  his  men  had  heard  of  the 
death  of  Montgomery  and  the  retreat  of  his 
detachment,  which  inspired  them  with  renewed 
courage.  The  Palace  Gate  was  thrown  open 
suddenly  and  the  troops  rushed  out,  surprising 
Captain  Dearborn  and  some  provincials  sta 
tioned  thei-e,  and  they  were  taken  prisoners. 

"Morgan  heard  of  that  disaster  and  of  the 
death  of  Montgomery  while  he  and  his  mem 
were  pressing  on  vigorously  into  the  town; 
also  that  the  enemy  was  advancing  on  his  rear. 
He  saw  that  further  efforts  were  useless,  as  he 
was  surrounded  by  the  foe  on  all  sides,  and  he 
and  his  men  surrendered  themselves  prisoners 
of  war." 

'•'The  whole  American  army  was  not  taken, 
if  I  remember  right,  papa?"  said  Grace  inter 
rogatively. 

"No,"  replied  her  father,  "the  rest  of  the 
division  retreated  to  their  camp,  leaving 


194  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

behind  a  field-piece  and  some  mortars.  Colonel 
Arnold  took  command  of  what  was  left  of  the 
patriot  army  and  was  promoted  to  the  rank 
of  brigadier-general.  He  did  not  feel  safe  so 
near  the  city,  so  retired  about  three  miles 
from  it  and  intrenched  himself  as  well  as  cir 
cumstances  would  permit.  He  remained  there 
until  the  1st  of  April,  but  accomplished  nothing 
of  any  consequence.  General  Thomas,  who 
was  appointed  to  succeed  Montgomery,  arrived 
early  in  May;  but  the  British  received  large 
reinforcements  and  our  men  were  driven  out  of 
Canada." 

"Perhaps  it  was  just  as  well,"  remarked 
Lucilla,  in  a  tone  of  indifference,  "  our  country 
is  large  enough,  and  I,  for  one,  don't  covet 
Canada." 

"I  think  there  are  very  few  Americans,  if 
any,  who  do,"  returned  her  father  with  a 
slightly  amused  smile.  "  Our  country  is  large 
enough,  and  while  we  like  the  Canadians  as 
friends  and  neighbors,  we  have  no  wish  to 
change  their  political  relations,  or  to  rob 
England  of  her  colonies." 

"I  think  you  are  quite  correct  about  that 
matter,  captain,"  said  Mr.  Dinsmore.  "  I  have 
yet  to  hear  from  any  one  of  our  people  an 
•xpression  of  a  desire  to  see  Canada,  or  any 
fart  of  British  America,  incorporated  into  our 


ON  INLAND    WATERS.  195 

Union.  We  have  a  great-  country  and  are  fully 
satisfied  with  its  size." 

"'  Eternal  vigilance  is  the  price  of  liberty,'" 
quoted  Walter,  "and  we  need  to  be  careful 
to  exercise  that,  don't  we,  grandpa?" 

"Certainly  we  do,"  was  the  reply,  "toward 
foes  within  and  foes  without ;  and  that  espe 
cially  by  diffusing  knowledge  and  teaching 
Gospel  truth." 

With  that  they  withdrew  from  the  table  and 
gathered  upon  the  deck.  The  yacht  was  mov 
ing  down  the  river,  but  through  the  gathering 
gloom  little  could  be  seen  of  it  or  its  shores, 
and  wearied  with  the  day's  jaunt,  all  presently 
retired  to  their  staterooms. 


CHAPTER  XIH. 

the  Dolphin's  passengers  awoke  the 
morning  they  found  she  had  reached 
Quebec  and  was  lying  quietly  at  the  wharf 
there.  Anxious  to  view  all  places  of  historic 
interest  in  and  about  the  city  and  to  be  again 
•^n  their  eastward  way,  they  set  out  as  promptly 
is  they  conveniently  could  after  leaving  the 
breakfast  table. 

There  were  so  many  points  of  interest,  and 
at  some  they  tarried  so  long,  that  the  sun  had 
set  and  shadows  were  already  creeping  over 
land  and  water  as  they  regained  the  Dolphin's 
deck. 

Ned  was  fast  asleep  in  his  father's  arms, 
little  Elsie  hardly  able  to  keep  her  eyes  open, 
and  they  were  taken  at  once  to  their  stateroom 
by  their  parents,  the  others  hurrying  to  theirs 
to  make  due  preparation  for  a  suitable  appear 
ance  at  the  supper  table. 

The  saloon  through  which  they  passed  was 
but  dimly  lighted  as  yet,  and  no  one  noticed  a 
lady  and  gentleman  sitting  side  by  side  in  a 
far  corner  where  the  shadows  were  deepest. 

190 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  197 

As  the  last  stateroom  door  closed  upon  its 
occupants,  the  gentleman  leaned  down  over  the 
lady,  saying  in  a  tone  scarcely  above  a  whisper, 
"Ah  ha,  ah  ha,  um  h'm!  they  are  all  safe  in 
their  rooms  for  the  present,  and  now  let  us  go 
upon  deck  while  we  may  unperceived.  Ray 
mond  will  be  sure  to  be  up  there  presently,  if 
none  o'  the  rest." 

The  lady  returned  a  silent  assent,  both  rose, 
crossed  the  room  noiselessly,  ascended  the 
cabin  stairway,  and  in  another  minute  were 
seated  side  by  side  in  the  shadow  of  the  pilot 
house,  the  man  at  the  wheel  greeting  them  with 
a  quiet  smile  of  amusement. 

"They  didn't  see  you,  sir?"  he  asked  in  an 
undertone. 

"No.     And  you  kept  our  counsel?" 

"An  easy  thing  to  do  under  the  circum 
stances,  as  the  captain  asked  no  question,  but 
passed  quickly  on  down  into  the  cabin.  But 
I  think,  sir,  you'd  best  let  him  know  you're 
here  pretty  soon,  or  the  yacht  may  be  starting 
with  you  and  the  lady  on  it,  and  you  haven't 
any  baggage  aboard." 

"  That's  true ;  but  the  captain  shall  know  of 
our  presence  and  give  us  time  to  land  before 
he  weighs  anchor." 

"And  here  he  comes  now,  sir,"  as  at  that 
moment  Captain  Raymond's  step  and  voice 


198  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

were  heard  near  the  companion-way.  "  There, 
do  you  hear,  sir?  he's  giving  the  order  to 
weigh  anchor  and  proceed  down  the  river." 

"Hallo,  there,  cap'in!  jest  you  wait  a  bit, 
sir.  There's  a  couple  o'  stowaways  aboard  and 
I'd  advise  ye  to  get  rid  o'  them  afore  ye  start," 
called  a  voice  that  seemed  to  come  from  some 
part  of  the  vessel  in  the  captain's  rear. 

He  turned  quickly,  asking,  "And  you  are 
one  of  them?" 

"Well,  sir,  that's  neither  here  nor  there," 
returned  the  voice;  "but  if  I  was  in  your 
place,  I'd  put  'em  off  afore  starting." 

"But  perhaps  the  poor  fellows  need  some 
help,"  returned  the  captain.  "Tell  them  to 
show  themselves  and  I'll  not  be  hard  upon 
them." 

u  Well,  now,"  exclaimed  the  invisible  speaker, 
"I  must  say  you're  a  good,  kind-hearted  sort 
o'  man,  spite  o'  owning  this  grand  yacht  and  a 
lot  o'  money,  so  I'll  call  'em.  Halloo,  here, 
mates,  don't  be  afeard  to  show  yerselves  and  I 
reckon  ye'll  git  some  grub  if  nuthin'  else." 

"Wait  a  little  till  this  matter  is  settled," 
Captain  Raymond  said,  reversing  his  order 
about  the  anchor,  then  asked,  "Have  any 
strangers  been  allowed  to  board  the  yacht  dur 
ing  my  absence?"  addressing  his  query  to  the 
man  at  the  helm. 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  199 

"Well,  no,  sir;  not  to  say  strangers,"  an 
swered  the  man,  hesitatingly  and  with  a  slight 
laugh. 

"  Ah !  some  old  friends,  though ;  just  as  I  sus 
pected,"  and  with  the  words  Captain  Raymond 
glanced  searchingly  about,  then  with  a  quick 
step  drew  near  the  hiding  place  of  the  stow 
aways. 

"  Ah,  cousins,  I  see  my  guess  was  not  wide 
of  the  mark,"  he  said,  with  his  good-humored 
laugh  and  giving  a  hand  to  each.  "You  are 
as  welcome  as  sunlight  in  the  morning  and 
shall  have  all  the  'grub'  you  can  stow  away. 
But  why  not  send  for  your  baggage  and  go  on 
home  with  us?  You  have  seen  all  the  sights  of 
Quebec,  have  you  not?" 

"About  all,  captain,"  replied  Mr.  Lilburn, 
"  and  we  thank  you  heartily  for  your  very  kind 
invitation.  But  though  travel  on  the  Dolphin^ 
especially  in  such  good  company,  is  most  de 
lightful,  we  would  crowd  you  too  much,  I  fear." 

"Yes,"  said  Annis,  "and  it  would  be  very 
selfish  to  give  ourselves  so  much  pleasure  at 
the  cost  of  such  inconvenience  to  our  kind 
friends — our  dear  relatives.  But  seeing  the 
Dolphin  lying  here,  we  felt  that  we  could  not 
deny  ourselves  the  great  pleasure  of  a  peep  at 
you  all." 

"  The  voyage  is  not  likely  to  be  a  long  one, 


200  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

or  the  crowding  worth  mentioning,"  returned 
Captain  Raymond  in  his  most  cordial  tone; 
"and  the  slight  inconvenience  will  be  paid  for 
over  and  over  again  by  the  pleasure  of  your 
company." 

"It  is  most  kind  in  you  to  say  BO,  captain," 
said  Annis,  with  a  pleased  look,  "but  are  you 
quite  sure  the  others  would  be  equally  willing 
to  endure  the  inconvenience?" 

"I  haven't  a  doubt  of  it,"  he  replied  emphat 
ically,  "and  I  know  of  nothing  that  could 
happen  just  now  that  would  afford  our  dear 
mother  more  pleasure;  for  I  have  often  heard 
her  speak  of  you  as  her  very  dear  friend  and 
cousin,  and  I  know  she  has  missed  you  sadly 
since  you  left  us  for  your  bridal  trip.  If  you 
have  seen  all  you  care  to  of  the  city,  do  let  me 
send  at  once  for  your  baggage  and  give  her 
and  the  rest  the  pleasant  surprise  of  finding  you 
presently  at  the  supper  table." 

"Thank  you  very  much,"  she  said,  smiling 
up  into  his  pleasant  face;  "you  don't  know 
how  tempting  your  kind  offer  is.  We  have 
seen  all  we  care  to  of  this  interesting  old  city 
and  were  intending  to  leave  it  to-night; 
but » 

"Ah,  my  dear  cousin,  just  omit  the  objec 
tions,"  interrupted  Captain  Raymond  laugh 
ingly,  "  give  me  the  address  and  let  me  send  at 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  201 

once  for  your  trunks.  Excuse  my  rudeness  in 
not  waiting  to  hear  all  you  could  say  against 
my  plan,  but  it  is  growing  late  and  I  can  hear 
it  all  afterward  if  you  care  to  have  me  do  so. 
Ah,  here  comes  mother  and  ray  wife  now,"  he 
added,  as  the  two  stepped  upon  the  deck  at  that 
moment. 

Then  moving  quickly  toward  them,  "I  have 
something  to  show  you,  mother  and  Vi,"  he 
said;  "a  couple  of  uncommonly  interesting 
stowaways,  about  the  disposal  of  whom  I 
should  like  to  have  your  advice." 

"Stowaways?"  repeated  Violet,  in  accents 
of  surprise.  "  Do  they  think  we  are  about  to 
cross  the  ocean?" 

"Suppose  you  come  and  have  a  little  talk 
with  them,"  said  her  husband,  leading  the  way 
toward  the  intruders,  the  ladies  following  close 
in  his  rear. 

"Oh,  Cousins  Annis  and  Ronald!  How 
delightful!"  both  exclaimed  at  sight  of  the 
intruders,  Vi  adding  in  gleeful  tones,  "We'll 
stow  you  away  safely  and  keep  you  as  long  as 
possible." 

Then,  as  Annis  began  repeating  her  objec 
tion  on  the  score  of  the  inevitable  crowding, 
"Oh,  that  will  only  be  fun,"  she  said.  "I  am 
not  urging  you  out  of  politeness,  but  because  I 
really  want  your  and  Cousin  Ronald's  pleasant 


202  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

company,  and  know  that  all  the  rest  will  be 
delighted  to  have  it." 

"  Certainly  they  will,"  added  Grandma  Elsie. 
"And  you  surely  cannot  be  so  unkind,  Annis 
dear,  as  to  refuse  us  that  pleasure." 

"Ah,  Annis,  my  bonny  bride,  with  such 
assurances  we  need  not  hesitate,"  laughed  Mr. 
Lilburn.  "Let  us  accept  the  kind  invitation 
and  do  our  best  to  add  to  the  pleasure  of  our 
generous-hearted  entertainers." 

"You  can  hardly  refuse  to  follow  such  good 
advice  coming  from  such  a  source,  Annis,"  said 
Violet,  while  Captain  Raymond  again  inquired 
of  Mr.  Lilburn  where  he  should  send  for  the 
trunks. 

The  requested  information  was  given,  a  mes 
senger  at  once  despatched  for  the  luggage,  and, 
as  the  summons  to  the  supper  table  came  at  the 
same  moment,  all  the  company  upon  the  deck  at 
once  descended  the  companion-way  and  met 
the  remainder  of  the  family  party  at  the  table. 
The  bride  and  groom  had  no  reason  to  complain 
of  their  reception,  for  everyone  seemed  de 
lighted  to  see  them. 

Fatigue  was  forgotten  in  the  enjoyment  of 
each  other's  society,  the  toothsome  viands  and 
the  interest  of  comparing  notes  as  to  their 
experiences — all  they  had  seen,  heard,  and  done 
— since  the  parting  of  a  few  days  before,  when 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  203 

the  bride  and  groom  left  the  Dolphin  for  the 
railroad  train  at  Michigan  City. 

The  luggage  had  arrived  and  the  vessel  was 
in  motion  down  the  river  some  time  before 
they  left  the  table. 

"  You  will  hardly  make  another  stop  in  this 
part  of  Her  Majesty's  dominions,  captain,  but 
go  directly  home,  I  presume?"  remarked  Mr.  Lil- 
burn  inquiringly,  at  a  pause  in  the  conversation. 

"  Yes  and  no,"  returned  Captain  Raymond  in 
playful  tones,  "I  hardly  expect  to  stop  again 
until  we  reach  Narragansett  Bay;  but  there 
we  expect  to  visit  Newport,  and  Paradise 
Valley,  a  few  miles  out  of  it,  on  the  same 
island.  We  have  some  cousins  summering 
there  now,  who  are  most  urgent  with  us  to  come 
and  take  temporary  possession  of  a  vacant 
cottage  very  near  the  one  occupied  by  them; 
and  we  have  decided  to  do  so,  should  nothing 
interfere.  And  now,  I  hope  you  and  Cousin 
Annis  will  decide  to  go  there  with  us,  and 
afterward  return  home  with  us  in  the  Dolphin." 

As  soon  as  the  captain  had  ceased  speaking, 
Mrs.  Travilla  and  Violet,  the  young  people 
also,  joined  their  urgent  solicitations  to  his, 
and  as  Annis  seemed  much  pleased  with  the 
idea,  and  Mr.  Lilburn  himself  had  really  no 
objection,  it  was  presently  decided  that  they 
would  accept  the  invitation. 


204  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY. 

They  now  left  the  table  and  gathered  upon 
the  deck  for  a  time ;  but  as  there  was  no  moon 
that  night  little  could  be  seen  of  the  country 
through  which  they  were  passing,  and  all  being 
somewhat  weary  with  the  exertions  of  the  day, 
they  presently  held  their  regular  evening 
service  of  prayer,  praise,  and  reading  of  the 
Scriptures,  then  bade  an  affectionate  good 
night  and  retired  to  rest. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

OUR  friends  had  a  delightful  voyage  througu 
the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence,  down  the  coasts  of 
New  Brunswick,  Maine,  Massachusetts,  and 
Rhode  Island  as  far  as  Newport  on  Narragan- 
sett  Bay.  They  left  the  yacht  lying  in  the 
harbor  there  for  the  present,  and  taking  hired 
carriages  drove  out  to  the  cottages  of  which 
their  cousin,  Mrs.  Embury,  had  written,  where 
they  found  her  and  Mr.  Embury,  with  their 
children,  also  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cyril  Keith,  forming 
a  large  and  interesting  family  party,  and  filling 
one  of  the  cottages;  but  the  other  was  still 
vacant,  and  large  enough  to  accommodate  very 
conveniently  the  entire  party  from  the  Dol 
phin. 

Their  welcome  was  of  the  warmest.  They 
found  their  new  temporary  abode  comfortably, 
though  not  elegantly,  furnished,  open  and  well 
aired;  for,  though  their  friends  had  been 
uncertain  of  the  exact  time  of  their  arrival, 
they  had  expected  them  daily  and  made  ready, 
as  far  as  possible,  for  their  comfort  and  enjoy* 
ment. 

m 


206  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

"Ah,  if  we  had  only  known  just  when  you 
would  get  here,  your  supper  should  have  been 
ready,"  said  Isadore,  when  greetings  had  been 
exchanged  and  the  excitement  of  the  arrival 
had  calmed  down  somewhat.  "But  I  will  have 
it  on  the  table  as  soon  as  possible.  I  am  house 
keeper  this  week.  Molly  and  I  take  the  posi 
tion  week  about,  each  trying  to  outdo  the  other 
in  catering  for  the  united  family." 

"Oh,  thank  you!  but  we  had  supper  on  the 
yacht  just  before  leaving  her,"  said  Violet. 
"Besides,  we  consider  ourselves  at  home  and  do 
not  expect  or  wish  to  be  treated  as  company." 

"And  we  have  brought  a  supply  of  pro 
visions  of  various  kinds,  which  we  hope  you 
may  be  willing  to  share  with  us,"  said  the 
captain. 

"That  was  very  kind  and  thoughtful  in  you, 
cousin  captain,"  returned  Isadore  with  a  pleased 
look,  "and  I  hardly  think  any  of  us  will  feel 
inclined  to  reject  your  dainties;  though  we 
have  fared  very  well  indeed  since  coming 
here." 

"Please  accept  my  thanks  also,  and  those 
of  our  husbands  and  children,"  said  Molly. 
"Aunt  Rose  and  Cousin  Elsie,  please  sit  down 
here  with  the  gentlemen  and  let  us  younger 
ones  attend  to  the  unpacking  and  arranging  of 
the  contents  of  your  trunks.  If  you  will  trust 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  207 

us,  I  can  assure  you  we  shall  enjoy  doing  it. 
At  least  I  am  sure  I  shall." 

"That  is  a  kind  offer,  Molly,"  said  Mrs. 
Travilla,  "but  we  have  done  nothing  to-day  to 
tire  us  and  I,  for  one,  am  not  in  the  least 
fatigued ;  so  ought  not  to  indulge  my  love  of 
ease  at  your  expense." 

"  Your  love  of  ease,  Cousin  Elsie !"  laughed 
Molly.  "I  never  discovered  that  you  had 
any." 

"No;  but  she  has  a  daughter  who  is  both 
able  and  willing  to  attend  to  the  duty  in  ques 
tion,"  said  Rosie  Travilla.  "So  sit  you  down, 
mother  dear,  and  enjoy  this  pleasant  company, 
while  we  younger  folks  unpack  and  find  places 
for  your  goods  and  chattels." 

"Yes,  do,  mother,"  said  Captain  Raymond, 
bringing  forward  an  easy  chair  for  her. 
"Can't  you  trust  me  to  oversee  and  assist  thes« 
younger  folks?  If  not  we  will  seat  you  in  state 
in  some  spot  convenient  for  you  to  do  that  part 
in  person." 

"Thanks,  captain,"  she  returned  with  a  smile 
of  amusement  "as  commanding  and  giving 
directions  has  been  your  business  for  so  many 
years,  I  think  you  may  be  trusted  to  attend  to 
the  matter  even  without  my  added  super 
vision." 

"Yes,  come  along,  sir/'  said  Rosie,  leading 


208  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

the  way,  "but  please  to  remember  that  yon 
and  we  girls  are  not  in  the  schoolroom." 

"I  shall  endeavor  to  keep  that  fact  in  mind, 
my  sage  young  sister,"  he  said  in  return. 

"But  it  won't  make  any  difference  in  your 
authority  over  your  own  daughters,  I  am  happy 
to  know,  papa,"  Lucilla  said,  with  a  loving, 
smiling  look  up  into  his  face. 

"No;  they  are  mine  and  under  my  orders 
always  and  under  all  circumstances,"  he  re 
turned  ;  "  and  I  think  would  not  have  it  other 
wise  if  they  might." 

"Indeed  we  would  not,"  said  Grace,  who, 
as  usual,  was  near  her  father  and  sister 
"May  I  help,  papa?" 

"Well,  Gracie,  I  think  you  are  not  really 
needed,  and  would  enjoy  yourself  better  out 
yonder  on  the  porches  or  on  the  grass  with  your 
little  brother  and  sister  and  the  others,  telling 
them  stories,  singing  them  little  songs  or 
playing  games  with  them." 

"Yes;  do  try  that,  Gracie,  and  I  shall  be 
much  obliged,"  Violet  said,  joining  them  at 
the  moment.  "  I  have  just  left  them  with  the 
promise  to  ask  it  of  you." 

Grace  acquiesced,  went  back  at  once,  and 
for  the  next  half  hour  devoted  herself  to  the 
amusement  of  the  children,  to  their  great  satis* 
faction  and  enjoyment. 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  209 

"And  you,  Madam  Raymond,  would  do  well 
to  go  back  to  the  society  of  your  older  friends 
and  exercise  your  many  gifts  for  their  enter 
tainment,"  remarked  the  captain,  speaking  in 
playful  tones  to  his  young  wife,  as  Grace 
disappeared. 

"No,  my  dear,  I  prefer  to  exercise  them  for 
yours,  if  you  will  permit  it,"  she  returned. 

"Ah,  you  fear  to  trust  me  to  do  the  work 
without  the  supervision  of  my  capable  young 
wife?"  he  returned  laughingly. 

"  Possibly  it  may  be  done  a  trifle  better,  or, 
at  least,  more  to  my  mind,  with  that,"  she 
retorted,  with  becoming  gravity.  "At  all 
events,  I  shall  know  better  where  to  look  for 
what  I  want,  so  that,  in  the  end,  I  shall  save 
myself  trouble." 

"Ah,  then,  I  will  make  no  further  objection, 
but  freely  acknowledge  that  the  work  will  be 
twice  as  enjoyable  if  done  under  my  young 
wife's  supervision." 

"Thank  you,  sir,"  laughed  Violet;  "How 
glad  I  am  now  that  I  insisted  on  coming  to 
share  it.  As  our  stay  is  likely  to  be  so  short,  I 
think,  do  not  you,  it  will  be  best  to  unpack 
only  such  things  as  we  are  pretty  sure  to  want 
while  here?" 

"  Very  well,  my  dear;  as  concerns  that  matter, 
you  have  only  to  give  your  orders  and  s«e  them 


210  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

carried  out;  while  I  do  likewise  in  regard  to 
another;  namely,  that  all  the  manual  labor  is  to 
be  left  to  other  hands  than  yours." 

"Oh,  Captain  Raymond,  how  you  do  spoil 
me!"  laughed  Violet.  "Who  shall  say  that 
you  won't  be  sorry  for  it  one  of  these  days,  and 
wish  you  had  encouraged  me  to  be  industrious 
and  energetic." 

"I  am  willing  to  take  the  risk,"  he  said, 
placing  a  chair  for  her. 

"No,  I  am  not  ready  to  sit  down  yet,"  she 
said.  "  We  must  first  settle  who  are  to  be  the 
occupants  of  each  room ;  and  Cousin  Annis  and 
Ronald  should  have  the  first  choice." 

"  Decidedly  they  must  have  of  the  best ;  yet, 
I  think  it  may  be  the  better  plan  for  us  to 
choose  for  them,  or  they  will  not  take  the  best. 
There  are  three  comfortable  rooms  on  this  first 
floor.  Shall  we  not  assign  their  use  to  your 
mother,  grandparents,  and  the  Lilburu 
cousins?" 

"By  all  means,"  returned  Violet.  "Then 
Rosie  will  share  with  mamma,  Evelyn  and  our 
two  girls  take  one  of  the  third  story  rooms,  you 
and  I  and  our  little  ones  another,  and  Walter 
the  remaining  one.  He,  you  know,  must  leave 
us  in  a  few  days  for  college.  Oh,  the  house 
will  accommodate  us  all  very  nicely!" 

"So  I  think,"  he  returned,  leading  the  way 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  211 

to  the  third  story;  "and  now  I  insist  on  your 
having  the  first  choice  of  the  rooms  on  this 
floor." 

Violet  hesitated,  glancing  inquiringly  at 
Evelyn  and  Lucilla,  who  had  followed  them  up 
the  stairway. 

"Yes,  Cousin  Vi,  that  is  only  right,  and  what 
we  would  prefer  to  have  you  do,"  said  Evelyn. 

"  I  see  hardly  any  choice ;  they  all  look  pleas 
ant,"  added  Lucilla,  "  and  if  there  is  a  difference, 
of  course,  we  would  all  prefer  that  you  and  papa 
should  have  the  best." 

Violet  still  seemed  to  hesitate,  and  Walter, 
who  had  come  up  in  the  rear  of  the  others,  said, 
"  I  see  I'll  have  to  decide  this  knotty  question. 
My  big  brother,  the  captain,  being  the  largest, 
oldest,  best,  and  most  distinguished  of  this 
party,  besides  having  a  better  half  and  two  chil 
dren  to  share  with  him,  should  be  assigned  the 
largest  room;  the  three  young  ladies  should 
take  the  next  in  size,  and  I — 'lone  and  lorn* 
bachelor  of  sixteen — will  occupy  the  smallest, 
which  is  quite  large  enough  and  good  enough 
for  me.  So  there  the  knotty  question  is 
solved." 

"Many  thanks  for  your  wise  decision,  my 
dear  young  bachelor  brother,"  laughed  Violet. 
"And  now,  if  you  and  your  big  brother  will  sec 
to  the  bringing  up  of  the  trunks,  I  think  we  will 


212  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

soon  make  an  end  of  unpacking  and  arranging 
their  contents,  and  be  ready  to  join  the  pleasant 
company  on  the  porches." 

"Yes,  I  think  we  need  not  do  much  of  that 
work  to-night,"  said  her  husband;  "it  is  now 
almost  time  to  get  our  little  ones  to  bed,  and 
to-morrow  will  give  us  another  and  better  op 
portunity." 

With  that  he  and  Walter  hastened  down  the 
stairway,  and  not  many  minutes  later  all  were 
ready  to  rejoin  the  friends  and  relatives  sitting 
at  ease  on  the  porches  below. 

Most  of  the  evening  was  passed  in  conversa 
tion,  for  they  found  a  great  deal  to  hear  and  to 
tell  of  the  scenes  they  had  visited,  and  occur 
rences  in  the  family  connection  since  last  they 
had  been  together. 

They  had  been  talking  of  Viamede,  Mrs. 
Travilla  asking  some  questions  of  Mr.  Cyril 
Keith  about  the  condition  of  things  there,  of 
which  he  was  able  to  render  a  very  favorable 
report, .in  which  Mr.  Lilburn,  among  others, 
seemed  to  be  much  interested. 

"You  visited  Viamede  some  time  ago,  I  re 
member,  sir?"  remarked  Cyril,  turning  to  him. 

"Yes;  some  few  years  ago,  and  found  it  a 
lovely  place — a  sort  of  earthly  paradise,"  re 
turned  the  old  gentleman,  adding,  with  a  look 
of  amusement,  "lam  pleased  to  perceive  that 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  213 

you  have  not  forgotten  me  entirely,  though  we 
were  not,  at  that  time,  related  by  marriage  as 
we  are  now.  I  have  no  objection  in  the  world 
to  being  called  uncle,  even  by  a  man  of  your 
age,  seeing  you  are  own  nephew  to  my  bonny 
young  wife." 

Annis  laughed,  saying  with  a  mirthful  look, 
"Hardly  young  to  anyone  but  yourself,  my 
dear;  only  a  trifle  younger  than  my  dear  friend 
and  cousin  Elsie,  who  is  grandmother  to  quite 
a  number  of  fine  children." 

"But  still  almost  youthful  in  appearance, 
auntie,  dear,"  said  Cyril,  giving  Mrs.  Travilla 
a  look  of  heart-felt  affection.  Then  turning  to 
Mr.  Lilburn,  "I  shall  avail  myself  in  the  future 
of  the  privilege  you  have  accorded  me,  Uncle 
Ronald,"  he  said.  "It  is  a  pleasant  name  to 
speak,  and  a  dear  old  gentleman  who  gives  me 
the  privilege  of  so  addressing  him." 

"Couldn't  you  give  us  all  the  same  privilege, 
sir?"  asked  Mr.  Embury.  "My  wife  is  own 
cousin  to  your  new  niece,  Mrs.  Isadore  Keith— 
I  think,  too,  that  she  is  the  bright,  attractive 
sort  of  woman  anybody  might  be  proud  to 
claim  kin  with — and  we  would  all  feel  just  so 
about  claiming  it  with  you.  Besides  that,  Uncle 
Ronald  is  a  good,  agreeable,  handy  name  to 
use  and  to  hear." 

"Ah  ha!  ah  ha!  um  h'm!  so  I  think  myself; 


214  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

also  that  this  is  a  handy  company  to  own  as 
nieces  and  nephews.  But  what  say  you, 
Annis,  my  bonny  bride?"  turning  to  her,  with 
a  look  that  spoke  proud  ownership. 

"  That  I  am  entirely  willing  you  should  be 
uncle  and  I  aunt  to  the  whole  crowd  of  good 
people  here,  if  they  desire  it,"  Annis 
answered,  with  a  look  of  amusement.  "It  will 
not  make  us  really  any  older  in  feeling  or 
appearance.  And  I  am  quite  accustomed  to 
having  nieces  and  nephews  not  very  many 
years  younger  than  myself." 

"  And  have  not  found  it  a  nearly  unendurable 
trial,  I  hope,  Aunt  Annis?"  Cyril  said  inquir 
ingly. 

"No;  quite  the  contrary,"  she  answered. 
"But,  to  change  the  subject;  there  is  a  good 
deal  that  is  interesting  to  be  seen  about  here, 
is  there  not?" 

"Yes,  indeed!  This  is  Middletown;  it  was 
formerly  a  part  of  Newport,  and  known  in 
those  times  as  'ye  woods.'  It  has  an  area  of 
twelve  and  a  half  square  miles.  There  are 
five  schoolhouses,  three  churches,  and  a  town 
hall." 

"  Why,  I  thought  it  was  country !"  exclaimed 
Rosie.  "As  we  drove  along  I  noticed  little 
groups  of  houses  here  and  there,  but  there 
seemed  to  be  farms,  orchards,  and  fields;  also 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  215 

a  good  many  rocky-looking  hills;  some  that 
didn't  seem  to  be  cultivated  at  all." 

"  Yet,  there  is  so  much  beauty  that  it  seems 
to  me  worthy  of  its  name — Paradise  Valley," 
remarked  her  mother. 

"I  think  so,"  said  Cyril,  "and  I  expect  to 
enjoy  taking  you  all  to  its  various  places  of 
interest — Purgatory  Rocks,  Sachuest  and 
Easton's  Beaches,  Hanging  Rocks,  and  the 
site  of  the  former  residence  of  Bishop 
Berkeley." 

"  Who  was  he?"  asked  Grace. 

"A  clergyman,  born  in  Ireland,  educated  in 
England ;  a  learned  man  and  author  of  a  number 
of  books;  a  good  Christian  man  too;  one  of 
whose  projects  was  the  founding  of  a  college 
in  the  Bermudas  for  the  training  of  ministers 
to  supply  churches  and  teach  Christianity  to 
the  savages  of  America.  The  English  govern 
ment  was  to  supply  the  means,  but  failed  to  do 
BO,  and  Berkeley  came  on  here  to  Newport  in 
January,  1729,  bought  a  farm,  built  a  small 
house  upon  it,  and  there  lived  and  studied, 
preaching  occasionally,  while  waiting  for  the 
performance  of  the  promise  of  the  English 
government.  He  waited  about  three  years; 
then,  convinced  that  the  promise  would  never 
be  kept,  went  back  to  England." 

"And   he  left  the  income  of  his  property 


216  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

here  to  be  used  in  educating  students  of  Yale 
College,  did  he  not?"  asked  Violet. 

"  Yes ;  gave  books  too — a  valuable  collection 
donated  by  himself  and  friends — and  most  of 
the  volumes  are  still  there.  He  had  a  share  in 
the  formation  of  Redwood  Library  here  in 
Newport,  also.  He  was  both  a  v«ry  good  and 
very  distinguished  man." 

"Did  he  name  this  Paradise  Valley?"  asked 
Grace. 

"No,  I  have  been  told  it  was  named  by  Mr. 
Isaac  Barker,  who  owned  a  large  part,  if  not 
all  of  it,  in  Revolutionary  days.  By  the  way, 
his  descendants  still  live  here,  one  of  them  in 
the  very  house  owned  and  occupied  by  him  at 
that  time." 

"Oh,  yes,"  said  Molly;  "we  must  take  you 
to  see  that  house,  so  interesting  because  a  relic 
of  the  Revolution,  and  the  dear  old  lady  who  is 
now  its  mistress.  I  know  you  will  be  much  in 
terested  in  her,  Cousin  Elsie,  and  all  she  can  tell 
of  events  here  in  this  valley  during  that  war." 

"  I  shall  be  glad  to  call  to  see  her,  if  you  are 
quite  sure  she  will  not  deem  it  an  intrusion," 
replied  Mrs.  Travilla.  , 

"No,  I  am  sure  she  will  not;  she  is  very  kind 
and  hospitable,  and  seems  to  really  enjoy  telling 
the  story  of  those  times  to  one  who  shows  a 
deep  interest  in  it." 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  217 

"As  we  all  would  do,"  said  Mr.  Dinsmore, 
glancing  at  his  watch  as  he  spoke.  "  But  it  is 
growing  late  now.  Shall  we  not  have  our 
evening  worship  together  and  then  retire  to 
rest?  Cousin  Cyril,  as  you  are  a  minister,  the 
rest  only  laymen,  suppose  you  lead  our  devo 
tions." 


CHAPTER  XV. 

As  they  expected  to  make  their  stay  upon 
the  island  but  short,  and  wished  to  see  every 
interesting  spot,  all  were  up  and  about  early 
the  next  morning. 

Naturally  the  history  of  the  State,  and  par 
ticularly  of  the  island  upon  which  they  were, 
was  the  principal  topic  of  conversation  at  the 
breakfast  table.  Walter  began  it. 

"  If  my  memory  serves  me  right,  it  was  some 
where  about  here  that  General  Nathaniel  Greene 
had  his  quarters  in  1778." 

"Yes,"  replied  Captain  Raymond,  "on  a 
farm  owned  by  Colonel  Richard  K.  Randolph." 

"Why,  I  thought  Greene's  fighting  was  done 
in  other  parts  of  the  country !"  said  Rosie. 

"Most  of  it  was,"  replied  the  captain,  "but 
being  a  Rhode  Island  man  he  desired  to  take  a 
part  in  the  attack  on  the  British,  who  had  pos 
session  of  Newport  at  that  time.  But  I  think 
you  all  know  the  story — the  failure  of  the 
French  troops  to  take  the  part  expected  of 
them,  and  to  do  the  damage  to  the  British 
vessels  coming  in  from  New  York  which  they 

218 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  219 

essayed  to  do;  then  the  great  storm  which 
damaged  the  vessels,  both  of  the  French  and 
English;  and,  soon  after,  the  sailing  of  the 
French  for  Boston,  leaving  the  Americans  to 
meet  the  British  alone. 

"  Then  the  battle  was  fought  on  Quaker  Hill, 
after  which,  though  not  defeated,  the  Ameri 
cans,  hearing  of  the  approach  of  Howe  with 
large  reinforcements  for  the  British,  retreated 
from  the  island  to  the  mainland,  in  good  order 
and  without  the  loss  of  a  man." 

"Did  the  British  go  away  too,  papa?"  asked 
Elsie. 

"Not  till  the  fall  of  the  next  year,"  he  re 
plied.  "  They  had  done  a  vast  amount  of  mis 
chief,  and  desolated  the  island;  they  had  cut 
down  the  groves  of  forest  trees  and  many  of  the 
orchards,  for  fuel  and  military  purposes ;  they 
had  torn  up  the  meadows,  destroyed  gardens 
and  ruined  farms.  So  hard  had  they  made  life 
upon  the  island  that  many,  it  is  said  more  than 
half  the  people,  had  left  the  island;  wharves 
were  deserted,  commerce  was  destroyed,  and 
trade  abandoned.  In  December  of  1778,  the 
last  winter  that  they  were  there,  there  was  a 
fearful  storm — a  heavy  fall  of  snow  and  cold 
so  intense  that  many  of  the  Hessians  perished, 
frozen  to  death.  Accounts  say  that  more 
than  fifty  people,  mostly  soldiers,  lost  their 


220  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

lives  on  that  fearful  night,  and  it  was  long 
known  as  the  Hessian  storm.  The  poor  fellows 
suffered  very  much  that  winter,  for,  after  a 
little,  rations  were  cut  down  to  one-half  of  bread, 
made  of  rice  and  oatmeal  mixed,  the  other  half 
of  rice.  And  fuel  was  so  scarce  that  they  must 
have  suffered  much  from  the  cold ;  to  supply  it 
old  houses  were  destroyed,  old  wharves  torn  to 
pieces.  Old  empty  houses  were  used  as  bar 
racks,  and  troops  were  quartered  upon  the 
people  still  living  in  others.  The  State-house 
was  used  as  a  hospital  and  some  of  the  churches 
were  turned  into  riding-schools. 

"General  Prescott  had  his  quarters  in  the 
Bannister  House,  and  it  is  said  that  his  spacious 
sidewalk  in  front  was  made  of  stepstones  taken 
from  private  houses,  and  the  whole  of  the  south 
flight  of  steps  from  those  belonging  to  the 
State-house." 

"  I  don't  see  in  what  respect  he  was  any  better 
than  a  thief  and  a  robber!"  cried  Lucilla  indig 
nantly. 

"No,  nor  do  I,"  said  her  father;  "but  we 
must  remember  that  some  of  the  British  officers 
were  a  very  different  kind  of  men  and  would 
not  have  at  all  approved  of  his  doings.  Pres 
cott,  as  we  all  know,  was  a  great  coward,  and 
cowardice  and  cruelty  are  apt  to  go  together." 

"  Our  Washington  was  very,  very  brave  and 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  221 

flever  at  all  cruel/'  remarked  little  Elsie. 
"Papa,  was  he  ever  here?" 

"He  was  in  Newport  more  than  once.  His 
last  visit  was  paid  while  he  was  President  of 
these  United  States  in  August,  1790.  He  was 
escorted  to  the  Brenton  House,  the  principal 
hotel  of  the  place;  a  dinner  was  given  him  in 
the  representative  chamber  of  the  State-house, 
at  which  thirteen  regular  toasts  were  drunk, 
Washington  giving  one — 'The  town  of  New 
port.  '  He  left  before  the  rest  of  the  company, 
and  then  Judge  Marchant  gave  the  toast,  'The 
man  we  love. ' " 

"Oh,  I  like  that!"  said  the  little  girl,  her 
eyes  sparkling.  "I  think  everybody  must  love 
Washington — everybody  but  the  British." 

"And  even  some  of  the  British  have  admired 
him  very  much,"  said  her  father,  smiling  at  her 
enthusiasm. 

"And  given  him  high  praise,"  added  Walter. 
"I  for  one  am  proud  of  being  his  countryman." 

All  had  now  finished  their  breakfast,  and 
leaving  the  table  they  repaired  to  the  adjoin 
ing  cottage,  exchanged  greetings  with  its  occu 
pants,  then  together  they  held  their  morning 
service,  after  which  they  arranged  their  plans 
for  the  day. 

"  As  this  is  Saturday  and  I  leave  for  Prince 
ton  on  Tuesday  next,  I  have  only  to-day  and 


822  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

Monday  for  looking  about  and  seeing  places 
of  interest  in  this  neighborhood,"  remarked 
Walter. 

"How  and  where  do  you  want  to  go?"  asked 
Mr.  Embury. 

"  Down  to  the  beaches,  to  all  the  places  con 
nected  with  the  doings  of  Bishop  Berkeley 
and  the  Revolution,  all  about  Paradise  Valley, 
and — to  look  at  Purgatory;  but  not  to  get  into 
it,"  replied  the  lad,  concluding  with  a  slight 
laugh. 

"Do  you  want  company  or  prefer  to  go 
alone?"  was  the  next  query,  to  which  Walter 
replied,  "  I  can  go  alone,  I  suppose,  but  I  should 
prefer  good  company  if  it  is  to  be  had." 

"Would  mine  answer  that  description?" 

"Yes,  indeed,  sir!  but,  I  daresay,  you  have 
Been  all  the  places  already  and  perhaps  might  be 
only  bored  by  being  asked  to  repeat  your  visit." 

"Quite  a  mistake,  my  young  friend;  they 
are  worth  looking  at  time  and  again." 

"I  should  think  so,"  remarked  the  captain. 
"Suppose  we  make  up  a  party  of  such  of  our 
members  as  would  enjoy  a  pretty  long  stroll, 
go  down  through  this  valley  to  the  beach 
yonder,  visit  Purgatory  Rocks  and  as  many 
other  of  the  places  of  interest  as  we  may  feel 
inclined  to  see  to-day  and  have  time  and 
strength  to  visit." 


ON  INLAND    WATERS.  323 

"I  approve  of  your  plan,"  said  Molly.  "I 
was  thinking  it  would  be  best  to  defer  our 
intended  visit  to  that  dear  old  lady  in  the 
Revolutionary  house  till  Monday,  as  Saturday 
is  apt  to  be  a  busy  one  with  housekeepers." 

"Yes,"  said  Mrs.  Dinsmore,  "I  think  it  will 
be  quite  enough  to  venture  an  intrusion  upon 
her  at  the  most  convenient  time  for  her  that 
we  can  select." 

"A  real  favor  for  her  to  permit  it  at  any 
time,"  added  Grandma  Elsie. 

They  were  gathered  on  the  porch.  Captain 
Raymond  now  rose  and  looking  down  toward 
the  water  said,  "Ah,  yonder  is  the  Dolphin; 
according  to  my  order  of  yesterday  she  has 
been  brought  here  to  afford  a  sail  along  the 
coast  of  the  island  to  any  who  may  desire  it." 

"Oh,  how  good  and  kind  in  you,  captain!" 
exclaimed  Mrs.  Keith.  "  I  for  one  should  be 
delighted  to  go." 

"All  can  sail  who  wish,"  said  the  captain. 
"The  Dolphin  has  day  accommodations  for 
even  a  larger  company  than  this,  and  of  course 
we  shall  return  long  before  night." 

As  he  concluded,  he  looked  at  Mrs.  Dins- 
more  as  if  expecting  her  to  speak  first,  and  as 
she  was  the  eldest  lady  in  the  company  she  did 
so,  saying :  "  I  for  one  have  been  so  long  on 
the  water  that  I  feel  a  strong  inclination  to 


224  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY. 

stroll  down  to  the  beach;  though  I  have  no 
doubt  that  the  sail  will  be  very  enjoyable." 

"How  would  it  do  to  take  the  stroll  to  the 
nearest  point  to  where  the  yacht  is  lying,  and 
then  continue  your  walk,  or  go  aboard  the 
vessel,  as  you  feel  inclined?"  asked  the  captain. 

"Oh,  nicely!  I  think,"  she  returned;  "espe 
cially  if  some  of  the  others  would  like  to  join 
me  in  so  doing." 

"I  should,"  "And  I,"  "And  I,"  cried 
several  voices,  one  of  them  being  Grandma 
Elsie's,  and  another  Violet's;  while  at  the 
same  time  nearly  every  one  of  the  children  was 
asking  permission  to  go  along. 

"Yes,  yes!  let  them  all  go,"  said  the  captain. 

"  A  walk  to  the  beach  down  yonder  will  not  be 
too  long  for  any  one  of  them,  I  think,  and  when 
we  get  there  each  one  of  our  party  can  decide 
whether  to  continue  the  stroll  or  board  the 
yacht." 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

"I  THINK  we  will  have  to  divide  our  forces," 
said  Mr.  Embury,  when,  after  preliminary 
preparations  and  arrangements,  all  were  ready 
to  set  out  for  the  beach  and  the  yacht,  "for 
there  are  so  many  of  us  that  we  will  astonish 
the  natives  and  they  will  probably  be  asking 
the  meaning  and  object  of  the  procession." 

"Well,  my  dear,  what  of  what?"  queried 
his  wife  gayly.  "It  will  give  them  an  inter 
esting  subject  of  inquiry  and  conversation." 

"Very  well,  my  Molly;  if  you  like  to  be 
talked  about,  I  have  no  further  objection  to 
make,"  was  his  cheerful  response. 

"There  are  a  good  many  of  us,"  remarked 
the  captain,  glancing  about,  "actually  two 
dozen,  counting  all — big  and  little,  old  and 
young." 

"And  a  very  respectable-looking  crowd  it 
is,"  remarked  Violet.  "I'm  not  in  the  least 
ashamed  of  anyone  in  it.  Yet  it  might  be 
well  to  break  up  into  several  smaller  parties, 
by  the  way  of  guarding  against  alarming  our 
good  neighbors,  or  making  all  the  grown  up 


226  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

ones  keep  to  the  slow  pace  of  the  very  little 
folks.  Ah,  I  see  Evelyn,  Rosie  and  Walter, 
Lu  and  Grace,  are  already  on  the  wing." 

"Yes,"  said  the  captain;  "they  have  just 
started  in  response  to  a  motion  from  me  to 
move  on.  They  will  reach  the  beach  probably 
some  minutes  ahead  of  us,  but  can  be  trusted 
not  to  get  into  any  danger  or  mischief." 

"Surely,"  laughed  Violet.  "Mamma,  shall 
you  and  I  walk  together?" 

"While  I  follow  with  the  children,"  added 
the  captain.  "  I  see  your  grandpa  and  his  wife 
are  moving  on  ahead  of  us." 

"Cousin  Ronald  should  go  next  with  his 
bonny  bride,  while  we  of  this  cottage  bring  up 
the  rear  with  our  children,"  said  Molly. 

"Putting  a  small  space  between  to  avoid 
being  mistaken  for  a  procession,"  added  Mrs. 
Keith. 

"Bound  for  Purgatory;  but  none  of  us  to 
get  inside,  I  trust,"  said  Mr.  Embury.  "  I  hope 
the  young  folks  won't  attempt  to  climb  up 
those  rocks  till  we  older  ones  get  there  to  look 
after  them." 

"  No,  I  think  we'll  find  them  on  the  beach," 
said  the  captain.  "  I  bade  mine  wait  there  for 
me,  and  I  can  say — for  mine,  at  least,  that  they 
Jove  their  father  well  enough  to  follow  his 
directions  carefully." 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  227 

"That  is  very  true,"  said  Grandma  Elsie; 
"and  equally  true  with  regard  to  the  care  with 
which  my  Rosie  and  Walter  conform  to 
mine.'1 

"And  no  wonder,  mamma  and  Levis,"  said 
Violet,  "  for  you  are  both  so  reasonable  in  your 
commands  and  prohibitions,  so  kind  and  affec 
tionate,  that  it  would  take  a  very  hard-hearted 
and  stubborn  nature  to  rebel  against  your 
authority." 

"  Ah  ha !  ah  ha !  um  h'm !  that's  exactly  my 
opinion,"  said  Mr.  Lilburn,  looking  round  upon 
them  with  a  smile.  "I  have  noticed  many 
times,  with  sincere  admiration,  the  admirable 
manner  in  which  the  children  of  these  families 
are  trained.  I  only  wish  I'd  been  favored  with 
such  examples  before  I  went  at  the  business 
myself." 

"I  see  no  reason  why  you  should,  Cousin 
Ronald,"  returned  the  captain,  "for  the  only 
one  of  your  offspring  with  whom  I  am  ac 
quainted,  seems  to  me  to  be  all  a  father  could 
ask  or  wish." 

"Ah  ha!  um  h'm!  I'll  no  deny  that  my 
Hugh  is  as  fine  a  lad  as  could  be  found  in  a 
day's  travel;  and  Malcolm  not  a  whit  behind 
him;  but  neither  will  I  deny  that  the  credit 
belongs  more  to  the  native  goodness  o'  the  lads 
than  to  their  father's  training." 


SLSIS'8  JOURNEY 

It  was  a  fine  breezy  morning,  with  a  delicious 
coolness  in  the  air,  and  all  keenly  enjoyed  the 
walk  to  the  beach.  They  spent  a  few  moments 
there,  then  climbed  the  rocks  and  passed  along 
the  summit  till  they  reached  the  deep  fissure 
called  Purgatory.  There  the  children,  care 
fully  guarded  by  their  parents,  lest  a  false  step 
should  precipitate  them  into  the  deep  chasm, 
were  allowed  to  gaze  into  its  depths  for  a  mo 
ment,  then  led  away  and  seated  on  a  rock  to  rest. 

Most  of  the  older  ones  lingered  a  little 
longer,  watching  the  movement  of  the  water  at 
the  bottom,  and  speculating  about  the  depth 
and  width  of  the  chasm,  and  what  would  be  the 
dire  consequence  of  a  fall  into  it. 

"I  wouldn't  advise  you  to  try  it,  my  young 
friends,"  said  Mr.  Embury.  "  It  must  be  fully 
fifty  feet  down  to  the  water,  and  if  you  reached 
the  bottom  alive  yon  wouldn't  remain  so  many 
minutes." 

"No,  I  suppose  not,"  said  Walter,  reflec 
tively;  "but  the  fissure  is  not  very  wide  and  I 
think  I  could  jump  across." 

uOh,  Walter,  don't  think  of  such  a  thing!" 
exclaimed  Rosie,  stepping  back  suddenly,  at 
the  same  time  catching  him  by  the  arm  and 
pulling  him  away. 

"  Why,  Rosie,  do  you  think  I  could  be  such 
a  goose  as  to  attempt  anything  so  foolhardy 


230  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

"Which  served  her  just  right,"  exclaimed 
Lucilla  emphatically.  "She  couldn't  have 
loved  him.  Why,  I  wouldn't  let  an  entire 
stranger  do  so  dangerous  a  thing,  if  I  could 
hinder  him.  Unless  it  might  be  somebody  who 
was  here  to  fight  against  nay  country,"  she  added 
as  an  afterthought,  and  with  a  little  laugh. 

"You  would  have  let  Prescott  do  it,  I  sup 
pose — Prescott,  the  Revolutionary  tyrant — had 
you  been  with  him  here  and  he  had  shown  an 
inclination  to  try  his  skill  in  that  line,"  said 
Walter. 

"I  think  I  shouldn't  have  made  any  very 
strong  objection;  for  certainly  many  of  my 
countrymen  would  have  been  far  better  off  with 
him  down  there  at  the  bottom  of  the  fissure, 
than  where  he  was — and  had  no  business  to  be. 
Do  you  remember  the  story  of  the  Tory  lady 
at  a  ball  in  Philadelphia,  while  the  British  were 
in  possession  there,  who,  when  the  British 
general,  Sir  Henry  Clinton,  ordered  the  band 
to  play,  'Britons,  Strike  Home,*  said,  'You 
should  say,  "  Britons,  go  home"  *  ?" 

"Yes,  that  was  pretty  good,"  laughed 
Walter.  "  The  ladies  had  at  least  one  advan 
tage  over  the  men  in  those  days,  they  could 
give  the  invaders  many  a  home  thrust  with 
their  tongues  without  much  danger  of  personal 
violence  or  imprisonment,  in  return  for  it." 


ON  INLAND   WATERS,  231 

"That  reminds  me  of  a  little  anecdote  of 
something  that  occurred  in  Charleston,  South 
Carolina,  when  they  were  in  possession  there," 
said  Grandma  Elsie.  "One  of  the  British 
officers  had  taken  a  great  fancy  to  a  beautiful 
American  girl,  but  she  would  have  nothing  to 
do  with  him;  which,  of  course,  made  him  very 
angry.  One  day  they  met  in  the  street.  A 
big  negro  was  near  at  hand  and  the  British 
officer  said  to  him,  so  that  the  lady  could  hear, 
*Go  and  kiss  that  lady,  and  I'll  give  you  a 
guinea.' 

"'Yes,'  said  she,  'come  and  kiss  me.  I'd 
a  thousand  times  rather  be  kissed  by  you  than 
by  him.'  " 

"So  he  didn't  make  much  by  that,"  laughed 
Mr.  Embury. 

"I  wonder  if  the  darkey  did  kiss  her,"  said 
Grace.  "I'm  glad  I  wasn't  in  her  place,  if 
she  had  to  let  either  him  or  the  British  officer 
do  it." 

"And  you  would  rather  be  living  now, 
wouldn't  you,  daughter?"  said  her  father,  giv 
ing  her  a  loving  look. 

"And  belong  to  you,  papa?  Yes,  indeed!" 
she  replied. 

"How  very  straight  these  openings  in  the 
Tocks  are!"  remarked  Walter.  "They  look  as 
if  they  had  been  cut  with  a  knife." 


232  ELSIE'S  JOUENET 

"Yes,  it  is  very  strange,"  said  Rosie. 

Then  perceiving  that  the  others  had  turned 
away  and  were  going  toward  the  spot  where 
the  little  ones  were,  they  followed. 

"  There  is  a  fine  prospect  here  on  both  land 
and  water,"  remarked  Mr.  Embury.  "  Do  you 
see  that  hanging  rock  over  yonder — not  close 
to  the  water.  That,  they  say,  is  where  Bishop 
Berkeley  used  to  preach.  I  visited  it  the  other 
day,  and  found  it  so  hard  a  place  to  climb  to 
that  I  should  think  his  congregations  must 
have  been  small;  unless  they  stood  in  the  valley 
below;  which  would  make  his  pulpit  very  high 
above  them." 

"Where  is  the  house  he  lived  in?"  asked 
Rosie. 

"At  some  distance,  I  believe.  I  have  not 
seen  it  yet." 

"Now,"  said  Captain  Raymond,  "will  any 
or  all  of  you  take  a  sail  in  the  Dolphin  ?  You 
can  all  see  her  lyi»g  out  yonder  and  the  row- 
boat  will  soon  carry  us  to  her.  There  is  plenty 
of  room  for  everyone  here,  a  warm  welcome  if 
they  choose  to  go  aboard,  and  a  more  delight 
ful  day  for  a  sail  around  the  island  could  hardly 
be  found." 

All  accepted  the  invitation  with  alacrity, 
descending  the  rocks  to  the  beach  at  once,  and 
were  soon  aboard. 


ON  INLAND  WATERS.  233 

They  found  it  a  very  delightful  trip.  The 
captain,  having  been  frequently  in  those  waters, 
was  able  to  point  out  every  interesting  object, 
name  all  the  islands,  and  call  attention  to  the 
still  visible  ruins  of  fortifications  on  Gold, 
Goat,  Rose,  Contour,  and  Oanonicut  islands. 
That  last,  he  told  them,  was  the  Dumplings 
Fort,  or  Fort  Canonicut;  and  directly  opposite 
was  the  Castle  Hill  of  the  Revolution,  now 
Fort  Adams,  three  and  a  quarter  miles  below 
Newport.  In  calling  attention  to  it,  Captain 
Raymond  remarked,  "That  is,  as  regards 
strength,  the  third  fortress  in  the  United 
States.  It  is  Newport's  defence  against 
foreign  foes." 

"  I  am  glad  she  has  such  a  defence,**  said  Mr. 
Embury.  "But  may  she  never  suffer  again 
from  a  foreign  foe  as  she  did  in  Revolutionary 
days.  Perhaps  you  all  remember  that  her 
population  in  1774,  the  year  before  that  war 
began,  was  eleven  thousand,  and  in  1782  it  was 
reduced  to  only  about  six  thousand,  and  private 
property  to  the  value  of  $624,000  in  silver 
money  had  been  destroyed." 

"Yes,"  said  the  captain,  "there  had  been 
great  and  wanton  destruction  by  the  ruthless 
invaders,  in  both  town  and  country.  The 
island  of  Rhode  Island  had  been  so  celebrated 
for  its  beauty  and  salubrity,  before  that  war, 


234  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY. 

that  it  was  the  chosen  resort  of  the  rich  and 
philosophical  from  nearly  every  part  of  the 
civilized  world;  hut  war  had  sadly  changed  it 
before  the  British  left,  after  three  years  of 
occupancy,  in  which  they  had  pillaged  and 
destroyed  more  like  savages  than  civilized 
men ;  though  after  Prescott  was  superseded  by 
Sir  Robert  Pigot  as  commander  of  the  British 
forces  on  the  island,  the  people  were  much 
relieved.  They  were  treated  with  respect,  and 
plunder  ceased.  General  Pigot  was  a  gentle 
man  and  no  marauder." 


CHAPTER  XVTL 

THE  sun  was  setting  as  the  Dolphin  dis 
charged  her  complement  of  passengers,  and 
they  walked  up  the  valley  to  their  temporary 
abodes.  They  had  had  their  evening  meal  upon 
the  yacht,  and  the  little  ones  were  ready  and 
glad  to  be  taken  at  once  to  their  beds,  the 
older  to  sit  in  restful  quiet  upon  the  porches, 
enjoying  the  evening  breeze,  a  cheerful  chat 
over  all  they  had  seen  and  learned  in  their 
delightful  little  excursion  around  the  island, 
and  in  laying  plans  for  others  of  the  same  kind, 
and  for  walks  and  drives  here  and  there,  till 
every  interesting  spot  in  the  neighborhood 
should  have  received  from  them  due  attention. 
Also  in  making  arrangements  for  attending  the 
public  service  of  the  sanctuary  on  the  approach 
ing  Lord's  day;  the  captain  having  already 
planned  for  the  Dolphin's  crew  to  do  the  same, 
taking  turns  so  that  the  vessel  would  not  be 
left  at  any  time  entirely  unguarded. 

When  all  these  questions  had  been  discussed 
and  settled,  though  it  was  still  early,  they  held 
their  accustomed  evening  family  service,  and 


236  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

retired  to  rest,  that  they  might  hope  to  awake 
in  good  season  refreshed  and  ready  to  engage 
with  enjoyment  in  the  eacred  duties  of  the  holy 
day. 

''It  dawned  a  lovely  autumn  day,  a  cool 
refreshing  breeze  coming  in  from  the  bay,  mak 
ing  the  walk  through  the  lovely  valley  to  the 
open  churches  a  pleasure  as  well  as  duty. 

The  services  over,  they  returned  home,  and 
after  partaking  of  a  simple  dinner,  gathered 
upon  the  largest  of  the  porches,  and  each  one 
old  enough  to  read,  with  Bible  in  hand,  they 
spent  an  hour  in  the  study  of  its  sacred  pages. 

The  subject  engaging  their  attention  was  the 
way  of  salvation;  Mr.  Keith,  who  was  the 
leader,  called  for  texts  showing  the  one  true 
way,  and  they  were  given  by  one  and  another 
as  they  found  them  in  God's  word. 

" '  If  thou  shalt  confess  with  thy  mouth  the 
Lord  Jesus,  and  shalt  believe  in  thine  heart  that 
God  hath  raised  him  from  the  dead,  thou  shalt 
be  saved.  For  with  the  heart,  man  believeth 
unto  righteousness;  and  with  the  mouth,  con 
fession  is  made  unto  salvation,'  "  repeated  the 
captain,  adding  the  comment,  "Let  us  notice 
that  the  belief  which  is  unto  salvation  is  evi 
denced  by  holy  living;  belief  that  is  not  unto 
righteousness  is  not  a  true  and  living  faith. 
The  devils  believe  and  tremble,  but  theirs  ia 


ON  INLAND  WATERS.  237 

oot  a  saving  faith,  for  they  do  not  love  and 
trust  in  Jesus.  It  is  the  faith  which  worketh 
by  love  that  saves." 

"  Yes,"  said  Mr.  Dinsmore ;  u  it  is  not  enough 
to  have  no  doubt  of  the  truth  of  the  Gospel — the 
good  news  of  salvation  through  Jesus  Christ — 
but  we  must  give  ourselves  to  him,  love  him 
and  rejoice  in  his  love  to  us." 

"Arid  oh,  what  a  blessing  that  all  may  have 
that  faith  who  will  come  to  Jesus  for  it," 
remarked  Mr.  Embury;  "every  one,  old  and 
young.  'Look  unto  me  and  be  ye  saved  all  ye 
ends  of  the  earth.'  " 

"Yes,"  added  Mr.  Keith,  "there  are  many 
good  and  desirable  things  to  which  some  of  us 
can  never  attain,  but  salvation  by  faith  is  with 
in  the  reach  of  all  who  will  come  to  Jesus  for 
it.  He  says, '  Him  that  oometh  to  me,  I  will  in 
no  wise  cast  out.'  " 

It  was  Mrs.  Dinsmore 's  turn  and  she  repeated: 
"' Without  faith  it  is  impossible  to  please  him; 
for  he  that  cometh  to  God  must  believe  that  he 
is,  and  that  he  is  a  rewarder  of  them  that  dili 
gently  seek  him.'  ' 

"  'Fight  the  good  fight  of  faith,  lay  hold  on 
eternal  life,'  "  repeated  Mrs.  Keith. 

Then  Mrs.  Embury:  "  'Now  the  just  shall  live 
by  faith :  but  if  any  man  draw  back,  my  soul 
shall  have  no  pleasure  in  him.  But  we  are  not 


§38  ELSIE'S  JOUENET 

of  them  that  draw  back  unto  perdition;  but  of 
them  that  believe  to  the  saving  of  the  soul.'  " 

"  And  those  who  believe  in  Jesus  are  not  to 
hide  their  faith,  as  that  of  which  they  are 
ashamed,"  said  Grandma  Elsie;  "we  are  to 
confess  with  the  mouth,  letting  it  be  known 
that  we  believe  in  Christ  and  take  him  for  our 
Saviour.  His  own  word  is,  *  Whosoever  shall 
confess  me  before  men,  him  shall  the  Son  of 
man  also  confess  before  the  angels  of  God.' " 

It  was  Evelyn's  turn.  "In  Habakkuk  ii.  4," 
she  said,  "I  read,  'The  just  shall  live  by  faith.' 
Again  in  Romans  i.  17,  'The  just  shall  live  by 
faith.'  Galatians  iii.  11:  'But  that  no  man 
is  justified  by  the  law  in  the  sight  of  God,  it 
is  evident:  for,  The  just  shall  live  by  faith.' 
And  here," — again  turning  over  the  leaves  of 
her  Bible, — "Hebrews  x.  38,  'Now  the  just 
shall  live  by  faith :  but  if  any  man  draw  back, 
my  soul  shall  have  no  pleasure  in  him.'  " 

She  paused,  and  Lucilla  repeated  the  next 
verse,  "  *  But  we  are  not  of  them  who  draw  back 
unto  perdition;  but  of  them  that  believe  to 
the  saving  of  the  soul.' " 

Now  it  was  Rosie's  turn.  "  I  will  read  a  few 
verses  from  the  third  chapter  of  Romans,"  she 
said,  and  proceeded  to  do  so.  "  *  Even  the 
righteousness  of  God  which  is  by  faith  of  Jesus 
Christ  unto  all,  and  upon  all  them  that  believe; 


ON  INLAND  WATERS.  239 

for  there  is  no  difference :  for  all  have  sinned, 
and  come  short  of  the  glory  of  God ;  being  jus* 
tified  freely  by  his  grace  through  the  redemp 
tion  that  is  in  Christ  Jesus.'  " 

She  ceased  and  Grace,  who  had  turned  t€ 
the  same  passage,  went  on  with  the  reading, 
"'Whom  God  hath  set  forth  to  be  a  propiti 
ation,  through  faith  in  his  blood,  to  declare  hit 
righteousness  for  the  remission  of  sins  that  are 
past,  through  the  forbearance  of  God:  To  de 
clare,  I  say,  at  this  time  his  righteousness:  that 
he  might  be  just,  and  the  jnstifier  of  him  which 
belie veth  in  Jesus.'  "  She  ceased,  and  Walter 
went  on : 

"'Where  is  boasting  then?  It  is  excluded. 
By  what  law?  Of  works?  Nay;  but  by  the 
law  of  faith.  Therefore  we  conclude,  that  a 
man  is  justified  by  faith  without  the  deeds  of 
the  law.'" 

"'Therefore  being  justified  by  faith,  we 
have  peace  with  God  through  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,'  "  repeated  Annis,  in  low,  feeling  tones. 

Then  her  husband  took  it  up :  "  'What  shall 
we  say  then?  That  the  Gentiles,  which  fol 
lowed  not  after  righteousness,  have  attained  to 
righteousness,  even  the  righteousness  which  is 
of  faith.  But  Israel,  which  followed  after 
righteousness,  hath  not  attained  to  the  law 
of  righteousness.  Wherefore?  Because  they 


240  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

sought  it  not  by  faith,  but  as  it  were  by  the 
works  of  the  law.  For  they  stumbled  at  that 
stumbling  stone;  as  it  is  written,  Behold  I  lay 
in  Sion  a  stumbling  stone  and  rock  of  offence : 
and  whosoever  believeth  on  him  shall  not  be 
ashamed.'  " 

Walter  then  spoke  again  and  his  was  the  clos 
ing  text.  "  *  Watch  ye,  stand  fast  in  the  faith, 
quit  you  like  men,  be  strong. '  ' 

"Let  us  not  forget,"  said  Mr.  Keith,  "that 
we  are  to  confess  Christ,  owning  ourselves  as 
his  disciples,  under  his  authority,  and  ready  to 
submit  to  it  in  all  things.  Let  us  not  forget 
that  his  own  word  is,  'If  any  man  will  be  my 
disciple,  let  him  deny  himself,  and  take  up  his 
cross  and  follow  me.'  His  cross,  let  us  remem 
ber;  not  one  of  our  own  devising,  or  one  laid 
upon  us  by  some  earthly  power  without  the 
Master's  word.  He  alone  is  Lord  of  the  con 
science  and  the  Bible  is  his  word,  revealing  to 
us  his  will.  Also  his  own  command  to  each 
one  of  us  is,  'Search  the  Scriptures;  for  in 
them  ye  have  eternal  life:  and  they  are  they 
which  testify  of  me. '  We  must  never  be  afraid 
•r  ashamed  to  let  it  be  known  at  any  time,  or 
in  any  company  or  place,  that  we  are  disciples 
of  Christ,  to  whom  the  love  of  our  hearts  and 
the  obedience  of  our  lives  are  due." 

A  moment  of  silence  followed  the  closing  of 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  241 

Mr.  Keith's  remarks;  a  silence  presently  broke* 
by  Mrs.  Travilla's  sweet  voice  beginning  the 
hymn: 

"  Jesus  t  and  shall  it  ever  be 
A  mortal  man  ashamed  of  Thee  ?  " 

The  others  joined  in,  filling  the  air  with 
gweet  melody. 

Prayers  and  other  hymns  followed  till  the 
hour  set  apart  for  the  service  had  more  than 
passed  away. 


CHAPTER  XVHI. 

THE  next  morning  proved  bright  and  fair, 
aa  lovely  a  day  as  one  could  desire ;  no  cloud 
in  the  sky  save  the  light  fleecy  ones  that  are 
not  the  presage  of  a  storm.  Our  friends  in  the 
cottages  gathered  about  their  breakfast  tables 
in  rare  good  spirits,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that 
Walter  was  to  leave  them  that  day,  by  the 
evening  boat,  for  his  first  experience  of  life 
away  from  home  and  mother. 

The  lad  appeared  in  high  spirits,  partly  real 
but  partly  only  assumed,  to  hide  the  sinking  of 
heart  that  at  times  oppressed  him  at  the  thought 
of  so  long  a  separation  from  her  who  had  been 
almost  all  the  world  to  him  from  babyhood  till 
now,  when  he  began  to  consider  himself  on  the 
very  verge  of  manhood. 

She  saw  it  if  no  one  else  did,  and  her  tender 
mother  heart  ached  for  her  "baby  boy."  For 
herself  too,  that  she  must  do  without  him  and 
his  loving  caresses,  for  months,  and  know  that 
he  was  exposed  to  many  a  trial  and  temptation 
from  which  mother  love  could  not  shield  him. 
But  oh,  there  was  comfort  in  the  thought  thai 
M 


ON  INLAND  WATERS.  243 

her  best  Friend  was  his  also,  and  would  still 
be  as  near  as  ever  to  both  mother  and  son ;  still 
to  them,  as  to  all  His  children,  the  Hearer  and 
Answerer  of  prayer. 

"Well,  what  is  to  be  done  to-day?"  asked 
Rosie,  when  the  meal  had  fairly  begun. 

"I  propose  a  visit  to  'Tonomy  Hill'  for  one 
thing,"  said  Caj  tain  Raymond,  addressing  his 
remark  to  the  company  in  general. 

"  Where  is  that,  and  what  particular  claim 
has  it  upon  our  attention?"  queried  Mr.  Dins- 
more  in  return. 

"  It  is  about  a  mile  and  a  half  north  of  New 
port,"  replied  the  captain.  "  Tonomy  is  an 
abbreviation  of  Miantonomoh,  the  name  of  a 
Narragansett  sachem  whose  seat  it  was  in  early 
times.  It  is  a  rocky  eminence  and  the  com 
manding  site  of  a  small  fort  or  redoubt  during 
the  Revolutionary  war.  It  is  said  to  be  the 
highest  land  upon  the  island  except  Quaker 
Hill,  which  you  will  remember  we  saw  toward 
the  northern  end  as  we  sailed  round  on  Satur 
day." 

"Ah,  yes!  where  the  battle  was  fought 
between  the  British  and  our  forces  under  Greene 
and  Sullivan." 

"Is  there  anything  to  be  seen  there — on 
Tonomy  Hill— but  the  ruin  of  the  little  fortii* 
cation?"  asked  Rosie. 


M4  XLSIE'S  JOURNEY 

"Yea,w  replied  the  captain.  "The  hill  if 
270  feet  above  the  bay,  and  from  it  we  may 
obtain  a  fine  view  on  all  sides.  On  the  south 
and  west  the  city  and  harbor  of  Newport,  and 
many  islands  in  the  harbor  with  the  remains 
of  fortifications — Canonicut,  with  its  ruined 
fort,  for  one.  Ah,  I  am  forgetting  that  you 
saw  all  from  the  Dolphin  the  other  day! 
Still  we  could  not  from  there  take  in  the  whole 
view  at  once  as  we  may  from  the  hill  top. 

"Looking  oceanward  beyond  the  city,  we 
can  see  Fort  Adams;  and,  with  a  spy -glass,  the 
dim  outline  of  Block  Island ;  beyond  it  in  the 
Atlantic,  perhaps,  if  your  eyes  are  good,  a 
faint  view,  a  little  more  to  the  eastward,  of 
the  nearest  shore  of  Martha's  Vineyard;  also 
of  some  of  the  islands  in  Buzzard's  Bay. 

"  On  the  east  can  be  seen  Warren  and  Bristol, 
and  the  top  of  Mount  Hope,  the  throne  of  King 
Philip.  To  the  north  there  will  be  a  good 
view  of  Narragansett  Bay  and  the  towns  along 
its  shores." 

"  Indeed,  captain,  you  make  it  seem  very 
well  worth  while  to  go  there,"  observed  Mrs. 
Dinsmore. 

"I  think  that  when  we  get  there  and  look 
about  and  around,  upon  all  that  is  to  be  seen, 
you  will  be  still  better  convinced  of  it," 
returned  the  captain.  "  In  addition  to  what  I 


ON  INLAND  WATERS.  245 

Have  already  mentioned  we  can  look  upon  a 
large  part  of  the  cultivated  fields  of  this  island, 
and  find  them  rich  in  natural  productions  as 
well  as  in  historical  associations." 

"Oh,  let  us  go  by  all  means!"  exclaimed 
Violet.  "Perhaps  our  little  folks  might  not 
care  for  it,  or  might  find  the  climb  up  the  hill 
too  fatiguing,  but  they  can  be  left  in  the  yacht 
or  carriage,  whichever  the  trip  is  made  in." 

"Oh,  mamma!"  exclaimed  little  Elsie,  "I 
should  very  much  rather  go  up  that  hill  with 
the  rest  of  you,  if  you  will  only  let  me  !'* 

"Well,  dear,  I  should  like  to  let  you  do  as 
you  prefer,  but,  of  course,  it  must  be  just  as 
your  papa  says,"  replied  Violet,  smiling  down 
affectionately  into  the  eager,  pleading  little 
face. 

"And  papa  says  you  may  go  if  you  wish  to," 
said  the  captain,  in  his  kind,  pleasant  tones. 

"Me  too,  papa?"  asked  Ned  eagerly. 

"Yes,  you  too,  if  you  wish  to,  son,"  replied 
his  father.  "  I  think  even  my  baby  boy  will 
enjoy  the  drive,  the  climb  up  the  hill,  and  the 
lovely  view  from  its  top." 

"We  are  going  to  drive,  are  we,  papa?" 
queried  Lucilla. 

"Yes;  I  have  ordered  carriages  from  New 
port  to  be  here  by  nine  o'clock ;  so  that  all  who 
wish  can  drive.  But  should  anyone  prefer 


246  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

the  yacht  it  is  at  their  service.  Also,  it  will 
be  welcome  to  any  who  desire  a  sail  afterward.** 

After  a  little  more  talk,  first  among  them 
selves,  then  along  with  the  occupants  of  the 
other  cottage,  it  was  decided  that  all  would 
take  the  drive  to  Tonomy  Hill  and  see  the 
view;  then  some  would  drive  elsewhere,  others 
would  board  the  yacht  and  have  a  sail. 

The  engaged  vehicles  were  already  at  hand, 
and  in  a  few  minutes  the  entire  company  of 
adults  and  children  were  on  the  way  to  Tonomy 
Hill. 

All,  old  and  young,  greatly  enjoyed  the 
drive,  and  the  captain  was  plied  with  ques 
tions  about  this  object  and  that.  The  wind 
mills  particularly  interested  little  Elsie  and 
Ned.  Their  father  explained  what  they  were, 
and  why  there  were  so  many  of  them,  that  they 
were  made  necessary  by  the  absence  of  streams 
sufficiently  strong  to  turn  water-wheels,  and,  of 
one  standing  at  the  junction  of  the  main  road 
and  the  lane  leading  to  the  Hill,  he  remarked: 
"That  is  an  old,  old  one,  built  years  before  the 
Revolutionary  War.  At  the  time  of  the  war 
it  and  the  dwelling-house  near  by  were  owned 
by  a  man  named  Hubbard.  He  was  one  of 
the  many  Americans  whom  Prescott  turned 
out  of  their  houses,  to  take  shelter  in  barns 
and  other  miserable  abiding  places,  while  his 


ON  INLAND  WATERS.  247 

soldiers  took  possession  of  their  comfortable 
homes." 

"What  a  shame!"  exclaimed  Ned.  "Papa, 
I'm  glad  we  don't  have  those  bad  fellows  here 
now." 

"So  am  I,"  replied  his  father.  "We  ought 
to  thank  God  every  day  for  making  us  so  free, 
and  giving  us  this  dear  land  of  our  own.  I 
hope  my  boy  will  always  remember  to  do  so." 

Reaching  the  top  of  the  hill,  they  found  the 
view  from  it  all  that  the  captain  had  said. 
Calling  attention  to  it,  now  on  this  side,  now 
on  that,  he  named  the  different  towns  and 
other  objects  worthy  of  particular  attention. 
Mount  Hope  was  one,  and  again  he  spoke  of  it 
as  the  former  home  of  King  Philip. 

"Papa,"  said  Elsie,  "who  was  he?  I  thought 
we  never  had  any  king  in  our  country." 

"  The  Indians  used  to  have  them,  and  he  was 
king  of  one  of  their  tribes,"  was  the  reply. 

"Is  there  a  story  about  him,  papa?"  she 
asked. 

"Yes.     Would  you  like  to  hear  it?" 

"Oh,  yes,  sir!  yes,  indeed!  you  know  I 
always  like  stories." 

"Yes;  even  if  they  are  rather  sad;  as  this 
one  is.  But  if  you  wish,  I  will  tell  you  a 
little  about  H  now;  perhaps  more  at  another 
time." 


248  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

"Oh,  tell  it  all,  if  you  please,  Brother  Levis," 
•aid  Rosie.  "I  don't  believe  any  one  of  us 
would  object  to  hearing  it." 

Several  of  the  others  joined  in  the  request, 
and  the  captain,  ever  ready  to  oblige,  began  at 
once. 

"His  original  name  was  Metacomet,  but  he 
is  frequently  spoken  of  as  King  Philip  and 
also  as  Pometacom.  His  father  was  Massa- 
soit,  whose  dominions  extended  from  this 
Narragansett  Bay  to  Massachusetts.  Massasoit 
took  two  of  his  sons,  Metacomet  and  Wamsutta, 
to  Plymouth  and  asked  that  English  names 
might  be  given  them.  His  request  was 
granted,  one  being  called  Philip  and  the  other 
Alexander. 

"Upon  the  death  of  the  father,  Alexander 
became  chief  in  his  stead,  but  soon  died  sud 
denly,  of  poison,  it  was  supposed,  and  Philip 
became  chief  or  king  in  his  stead.  He  was  a 
bright,  enterprising  man ;  sagacious,  brave,  and 
generous.  He  soon  perceived  that  his  people 
were  being  robbed  by  the  whites,  who  took 
possession  of  the  best  lands,  and  killed  off  the 
game  and  the  fish  upon  which  the  Indians  had 
been  used  to  subsist. 

"Philip's  tribe  was  known  as  the  Warn- 
panoags,  or  Pokanokets,  and  their  principal 
Tillage  was  there  upon  Mount  Hope.  They, 


ON  INLAIfD  WATERS.  249 

and  other  tribes  as  well,  felt  that  they  had 
been  greatly  injured  by  the  whites,  and  planned 
an  offensive  alliance  against  them. 

u  Philip  began  bis  war  preparations  by  send 
ing  the  women  and  children  of  the  tribe  away 
from  Mount  Hope  to  the  Narragansetts  for 
protection.  Then  he  warned  some  of  the 
whites  with  whom  he  was  friendly  of  the  com 
ing  storm,  that  they  might  seek  places  of 
safety,  and,  when  they  were  gone,  bade  his  fol 
lowers  swear  eternal  hostility  to  the  whites. 

"A  dreadful  war  followed,  beginning  on  the 
24th  of  June,  1675,  and  lasting  for  more  than 
a  year.  The  whites  suffered  a  great  deal,  but 
the  Indians  still  more.  Particularly  the  Narra 
gansetts,  who  were  treated  with  great  cruelty 
because  they  bad  given  shelter  to  the  Wam- 
panoags  and  their  families. 

"They  had  a  fort  on  an  elevation  of  three  or 
four  acres  surrounded  by  a  swamp,  studded 
with  brambles  and  thick  underbrush.  There 
were  three  thousand  Indians  in  it — mostly 
women  and  children.  The  whites  surprised 
them,  burned  their  palisades  and  straw-covered 
wigwams,  and  the  poor  creatures  were  burned, 
suffocated,  butchered,  frozen,  or  drowned. 
Six  hundred  warriors  and  a  thousand  women 
and  children  were  killed,  and  all  the  winter 
provision  of  the  tribe  destroyed.  Their  chief, 


850  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

Canonchet,  escaped  then,  but  was  captured  and 
killed  the  next  summer. 

"It  was  on  the  12th  of  the  next  August  that 
a  renegade  Indian  guided  a  large  party  of 
white  men  to  the  camp  of  the  Wampanoag* 
The  Indians  were  asleep,  King  Philip  amon£ 
them.  After  the  first  shot  or  two  he  woke, 
sprang  to  his  feet,  gun  in  hand,  and  tried  to 
escape,  but,  as  he  stumbled  and  fell  in  the  mire, 
was  shot  dead  by  a  treacherous  Indian.  His 
death  ended  the  war." 

"Poor  fellow!"  sighed  Grace.  "He  was 
certainly  treated  with  great  injustice  and 
cruelty.  I  don't  see  how  the  whites  could  be 
so  blind  to  the  fact  that  the  Indiana  had  the 
best  right  to  this  country,  and  that  it  was 
wicked  to  rob  them  of  their  lands." 

"  Self-interest  is  apt  to  have  a  very  blinding 
influence,"  said  her  father.  "  And  I  am  afraid 
we  must  acknowledge  that  the  whites  were  the 
first  aggressors,  in  their  grasping  seizure  of  so 
much  of  the  land  of  which  the  Indians  were 
the  original  and  rightful  possessors." 

All  having  now  looked  their  fill,  they  returned 
to  their  carriages  and  drove  to  other  points  of 
interest,  one  of  them  Whitehall,  the  old  resi 
dence  of  Bishop  Berkeley.  It  was  a  place  that 
all  cared  to  see,  especially  a  room  in  it  for 
merly  occupied  by  the  dean,  where  was  a  fire* 


ON  INLAND  WATERS.  251 

place,  ornamented  with  Dutch  tiles,  placed 
there  by  the  dean  himself. 

"Oh,  how  old  they  must  be!"  exclaimed 
Grace. 

''Yes,  not  much,  if  at  all,  tinder  two  hun 
dred  years  old,"  said  Walter.  "  It  sometimes 
seems  odd  how  much  longer  things  may  last 
than  people." 

"In  this  world,  you  mean,"  said  his  grand- 
father;  "but  do  not  forget  that  man  is  immor 
tal,  and  must  live  somewhere  to  all  eternity-" 

"And  Bishop  Berkeley  is  no  doubt  spending 
his  eternity  in  a  far  lovelier  paradise  than  that 
with  which  he  was  familiar  in  this  world," 
remarked  Mrs.  Tra villa. 

"Yes,  indeed!  'Blessed  are  the  dead  who 
die  in  the  Lord,* "  quoted  Evelyn  softly,  think 
ing  of  the  dear  father  who  had  left  her  for  the 
better  land  years  ago. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

DINNER  was  ready  to  be  put  upon  the  table 
when  the  party  reached  again  their  temporary 
home,  and  their  long  drive  had  given  each  one 
an  appetite  that  made  the  meal  most  enjoy 
able.  They  rested  upon  the  porches  for  a  short 
time  after  leaving  the  table,  then  set  out  for  a 
walk  to  the  beach,  Walter  at  his  mother's  side, 
Violet,  the  captain,  and  their  two  little  ones 
near  at  hand.  These  were  at  some  distance  in 
the  rear  of  the  young  girls,  who  had  started 
for  the  beach  a  few  minutes  earlier. 

"Mother,"  said  Walter,  "I  should  like  very 
much  to  see  that  dear  old  lady  Cousin  Molly 
talks  about;  also  the  old  Revolutionary  house 
she  lives  in.  Do  you  think  we  might  call  there 
without  seeming  to  intrude?** 

"Really  I  do  not  know,"  replied  Mrs. 
Travilla.  "  If  Molly  were  only  here  she  could 
judge  better  than  I." 

"Perhaps  she  is  there,**  suggested  Walter. 
"  I  noticed  that  she  started  a  little  ahead  of  the 
girls.** 

"  So  she  did,**  said  Violet,  overhearing  their 


ON  INLAND  WATERS. 

talk,  "and  I  think  she  is  probably  there  now, 
for  she  was  telling  me  last  evening  that  she  felt 
anxious  that  you,  Walter,  should  see  her  dear 
old  lady  before  leaving  to-night.  Ah!  and 
yonder  they  both  are  at  the  gate  of  the  house 
now." 

"Then  I  would  suggest  that  you  three  hasten 
on,  leaving  me  to  follow  more  slowly  with  the 
children.  It  would  hardly  do  to  overwhelm 
the  old  lady  with  so  large  a  company  at  once," 
•aid  the  captain,  and  they  promptly  carried 
oat  his  suggestion.  Mrs.  Barker  and  Molly 
were  standing  by  the  front  gate  chatting  at 
they  came  up. 

"Ah,  here  they  are,  Mrs.  Barker I"  said 
Molly;  "my  cousins,  Mrs.  Travilla,  her 
daughter,  Mrs.  Raymond,  and  her  son  Walter. 
He  is  the  lad  I  was  telling  yon  of,  who  starts 
for  college  to-night,  and  was  very  desirous  to 
•ee  you  and  your  revolutionary  house  before 
going." 

"And  to  hear  all  you  can  tell  me  about  its 
experiences  in  those  days,  Mrs.  Barker,  if  you 
will  be  so  kind,"  added  Walter,  with  a  polite 
bow  and  his  most  insinuating  smile. 

"I  shall  be  happy  to  tell  and  show  all  I  can 
to  you  and  your  mother  and  sister,"  replied  the 
old  lady,  leading  the  way  toward  the  house, 
her  guests  following. 


254  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

She  took  them  over  the  greater  part  of  it, 
telling  them  what  rooms  had  been  occupied  by 
the  Hessians,  and  what  by  the  family  while  the 
unwelcome  intruders  were  there.  They  were 
much  interested  in  all  she  told  them,  and  ad 
mired  her  housekeeping,  everything  being  in 
beautiful  order.  She  told  them  the  Mr.  Barker 
of  those  days  was  a  true  patriot,  in  fact,  a  spy 
working  for  the  American  cause,  and  when 
their  call  was  finished  and  they  were  taking 
their  departure,  she  went  with  them  to  the 
gate,  and  pointing  out  a  ledge  of  rock  on  the 
farther  side  of  the  valley,  beyond  the  cottages 
they  were  occupying,  told  them  that  in  revo 
lutionary  times  that  was  a  part  of  the  large 
tract  of  land  owned  by  Isaac  Barker;  that,  in 
those  days,  instead  of  the  stone  wall  now  run* 
ning  along  its  edge  overlooking  the  water, 
there  was  a  rail  fence;  and  that  Isaac  Barker 
was  in  the  habit  of  signalling  the  patriot  troops 
encamped  on  an  island  opposite,  whenever 
there  was  an  important  item  of  news  for  them, 
and  that  he  did  so  by  alterations  in  the  fence, 
made  under  his  supervision  by  the  unsuspect 
ing  Hessians." 

"Oh,  that  was  good!"  cried  Walter;  "but 
did  the  British  never  catch  him  at  it?" 

"No,  never,"  she  replied.  "If  they  had,  hi* 
life  would  not  have  been  worth  much." 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  255 

"You  must  think  a  great  deal  of  this  old 
house, "  said  Walter,  turning  and  looking  it 
over  with  admiring  eyes.  "If  it  were  mine  I 
wouldn't  give  it  for  any  of  the  grand  palaces 
built  in  these  later  days." 

"Nor  would  I,"  she  said.  "Come  and  see  it 
again;  it  and  me;  if  you  care  to  do  so." 

"Thank  you;  I  should  enjoy  doing  so,  but  I 
leave  to-night  for  college." 

"  Ah  ?  I  am  glad  for  you ;  for  a  good  educa 
tion  is  worth  more  than  money  or  almost  any 
other  earthly  thing." 

"So  I  think,  because  it  will  enable  me,  or 
anyone  who  has  it,  to  be  more  useful  in  the 
world." 

"That  is  a  right  feeling,"  she  said;  the* 
turning  to  the  ladies  gave  them  a  warm  invita 
tion  to  call  again  any  day,  as  they  passed  on 
their  way  to  the  beach. 

"Thank  you,  Mrs.  Barker,"  said  Grandma 
Elsie.  "It  is  quite  likely  we  may  do  so,  for 
we  have  greatly  enjoyed  our  chat  with  you." 

u  And  will  be  glad  to  have  you  return  our 
call,  if  you  can  conveniently  do  so,  while  we 
linger  in  your  neighborhood,"  added  Violet. 

Arrived  at  the  beach,  Violet  joined  her  hus 
band  and  the  young  folks  there,  but  her  mother 
and  Walter  passed  on  up  the  cliff,  the  lad  say 
ing  laughingly  that  he  wanted  another  peep 


£56  ELSIE'S  JOUENE7 

into  Purgatory  before  leaving  the  neighbor 
hood;  but,  as  his  mother  well  understood,  a  bit 
of  private  chat  with  her  was  the  chief  object 
he  had  in  view. 

They  took  a  peep  into  the  chasm,  then  wan 
dered  away  a  little  and  sat  down  side  by  side 
upon  a  ledge  of  rock.  Looking  at  him  with 
her  own  loving  smile,  she  laid  her  hand  in  his. 
He  clasped  it  tightly,  while  unbidden  tears 
sprang  to  his  eyes. 

"  Mother,"  he  said  low  and  tremulously,  a  my 
own  dear  mother!  You  are  almost  all  the 
world  to  me.  I  think  no  other  fellow  had  so 
dear  and  sweet  a  mother  as  mine.  I  don't 
know  how  I  shall  ever  stand  it  to  pass  weeks 
and  months  without  a  sight  of  your  dear  face." 

aAh,  you  will  soon  learn  to  do  without  me," 
she  said,  between  a  sigh  and  a  smile.  "  But  I 
do  not  believe  my  dear  baby  boy  will  ever  cease 
to  love  his  mother,  or  to  try  to  make  her  happy 
by  a  faithful  attendance  to  all  his  duties.  But 
oh,  above  all,  try  to  please  and  honor  the  God 
of  your  fathers  whose  servant  you  profess  to 
be.  Begin  every  day  with  an  earnest  suppli 
cation  for  strength  to  perform  every  duty  and 
resist  every  temptation.** 

"It  is  my  fixed  purpose  to  do  so,  mother 
dear,  and  I  know  you  will  be  ever  helping  roe 
with  your  prayers,"  he  answered  earnestly- 


ON  INLAND  WATERS.  257 

"Oh,  what  a  blessing  it  is  to  have  a  praying, 
Christian  mother!  And  I  know  that  you  will 
write  to  me  often,  and  that  your  dear  letters 
will  be  a  great  help  to  me  in  my  efforts  to 
resist  temptation  and  keep  in  the  strait  and 
narrow  path." 

a I  hope  so,"  she  said;  "also  that  my  dear 
youngest  son  will  never  learn  to  conceal  things 
from  his  mother,  but  will  write  me  freely  of  all 
that  concerns  him,  never  doubting  my  love  or 
my  interest  in  it  all,  for  his  dear  sake." 

a  Doubt  your  dear  love,  mother?  No,  never 
for  one  moment!  Oh,  it  will  be  hard  to  part 
from  you  to-day,  even  though  I  hope  to  see 
you  again  before  you  go  home  \n 

u  Yes,  I  expect  to  give  you  a  call  at  the  col 
lege,  to  see  that  my  dear  son  is  made  as  com- 
fortable  as  possible,  and  to  take  a  view  of  his 
room  and  all  his  surroundings,  that  I  may  be 
able  to  picture  him  in  my  mind's  eye  at  his 
studies,  recitations,  and  sports." 

"  Just  as  I  can  see  my  loved  mother  in  every 
room  of  the  dear  home  at  Ion,  or  the  other  one 
at  Viamede,  should  you  go  there  at  any  time 
without  me,"  he  returned,  making  a  deter 
mined  effort  to  speak  lightly.  "It  seems  a 
little  hard  to  start  off  without  you,  mother;  but 
as  Cousin  Cyril  has  kindly  promised  to  go  with 
me,  I  shall  do  very  well,  especially  with  the 


258  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

knowledge  that  I  am  to  see  you  again  in  a  few 
days." 

"Yes,**  she  said,  "and  you  will  like  those 
New  Jersey  relatives  of  his,  who  are  more  dis 
tantly  related  to  us,  when  you  become  ac 
quainted  with  them,  as  I  hope  you  will  at  some 
not  very  distant  day." 

"The  uncle  he  is  expecting  to  visit  there  is 
a  brother  of  Cousin  Annis,  is  he  not?"  asked 
Walter. 

"Yes." 

"Then  I  should  think  she  and  her  hus 
band,  Cousin  Ronald,  would  go  with  Cousin 
CyriL** 

"I  think  they  will  follow  a  few  days  hence, 
when  we  start  for  home,"  she  answered. 

Just  at  that  moment  they  were  startled  by  a 
wild  shriek,  as  of  one  in  great  peril  or  affright, 
instantly  followed  by  a  sound  as  of  a  heavy 
body  plunging  into  the  water.  Both  started  to 
their  feet,  Walter  exclaiming,  "Oh,  mother! 
someone  must  have  fallen  into  that  dreadful 
deep  chasm  they  call  Purgatory!  Oh,  what 
can  we  do?" 

"Nothing,"  she  answered,  with  a  laugh  that 
sounded  slightly  hysterical.  "See!  Cousin 
Ronald  and  several  of  the  others  have  come  up 
the  hill  unnoticed  by  us." 

"Oh!  I  think  it  was  rather  too  bad  for  him 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  259 

to  startle  you  so,  mamma  dear!"  exclaimed 
Walter. 

"Yes,  I  must  acknowledge  that  it  was," 
returned  Mr.  Lilburn,  who  had  now  drawn 
near  enough  to  overhear  the  remark.  "  Pardon 
me,  Cousin  Elsie;  I  really  did  not  intend  to 
give  you  such  a  fright;  for  I  deemed  it  likely 
you  would  know  at  once  that  it  was  I  and 
none  other." 

"As  I  probably  should,  had  1  been  aware 
of  your  vicinity,"  she  returned,  in  a  pleasant 
tone;  "but  my  boy  and  I  were  so  engrossed 
with  our  talk  that  we  did  not  perceive  your 
approach.  I  think  Walter  and  I  must  now  go 
back  to  the  cottage  and  see  to  the  packing  of 
his  trunk." 

"Cannot  I  do  that,  mamma?"  queried 
Violet. 

"Thank  you,  daughter,  I  have  no  doubt  you 
could,  but  I  have  a  fancy  for  the  job  myself," 
was  the  pleasant-toned  reply.  "  Besides,  your 
place  is  with  your  husband  and  little  ones,  who, 
I  think,  would  find  it  agreeable  and  beneficial 
to  remain  here  on  the  beach  for  another  hour 
or  so." 

"I  haven't  unpacked  much  since  we  came 
here,  mother,"  remarked  Walter,  as  they 
walked  away  together,  "  so  that  it  will  not  be 
a  long  job  to  get  my  things  in  my  trunk,  but  I 


860  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

am  glad  you  came  away  so  early  with  me,  at 
it  gives  as  time  and  opportunity  for  another 
private  chat." 

"Yes,  my  dear  boy,  that  was  my  principal 
object  in  proposing  this  early  return,  but  I 
hope  for  many  another  pleasant  chat  with  my 
dear  youngest  son  in  the  years  to  come,"  his 
mother  responded  cheerfully. 

"I  haven't  seen  quite  all  the  places  in  and 
about  Newport  or  Middletown  that  I  should 
take  an  interest  in  examining,"  remarked 
Walter.  "  But  I  presume  I  may  hope  to  come 
again  some  day?" 

"Oh,  yes;  possibly  a  good  many  times  in 
the  course  of  a  few  years;  though  there  are 
many  other  places  in  our  great,  beautiful  coun- 
try  that  are  quite  as  well  worth  visiting,  and 
far  better  worth  seeing  than  some  noted  resorts 
in  Europe.  I  want  my  sons  and  daughters  to 
appreciate  their  own  country,"  she  went  on, 
her  sweet  face  lighting  with  enthusiasm,  "with 
all  that  is  beautiful  and  valuable  in  it,  as  well 
as  its  free  institutions — religious,  civil,  and 
political." 

"I  think  I  do,  mamma,"  he  said,  with  a 
smile.  "You  have  brought  up  all  your  chil* 
dren  to  admire  and  love  their  own  land,  believ 
ing  it  the  best  and  greatest  country  in  all  the 
wide  world." 


ON  INLAND  WATERS.  261 

"Yes,  and  yet,  alas!  there  is  a  vast  deal  of 
wickedness  in  it,"  she  sighed;  "wickedness, 
error,  superstition,  and  vice,  which  we  should 
make  it  our  life  work  to  try  to  root  out." 

"As  I  truly  intend  to,  mamma.  But  are  not 
most  of  the  ignorant  and  vicious  those  who 
have  come  in  from  foreign  lands?" 

"A  very  great  many — a  very  large  majority 
no  doubt  are,"  she  answered;  "and  yet  there 
are  many  ignorant  and  vicious  ones  who  are 
native  born;  not  a  few  of  them  being  the  chil 
dren  of  natives.  Some  of  the  Tories  of  revolu 
tionary  times  were  even  worse  than  savages. 
'The  heart  is  deceitful  above  all  things  and 
desperately  wicked,1  applies  to  the  whole  of 
Adam's  fallen  race,  and  each  one  of  us  needs 
to  pray,  *  Create  in  me  a  clean  heart,  O  God; 
and  renew  a  right  spirit  within  me.'  " 

"I  feel  that  I  do,  mother,  but  you  have 
always  seemed  to  me  so  perfect  that  it  is  diffi 
cult  to  realize  that  it  can  be  so  with  you,"  said 
the  lad,  turning  upon  her  eyes  filled  with  ardent 
love  and  admiration. 

"That  is  doubtless  because  your  eyes  are 
blinded  by  filial  love,  my  dear  boy,"  she 
returned,  with  her  sweet  and  loving  smile. 

They  presently  reached  the  house,  and  Walter 
set  about  his  packing,  under  his  mother's 
supervision,  which  made  the  work  seem  but  a 


862  ELSIE'S  JOURNBt. 

pleasant  pastime.  It  did  not  take  long  and, 
seated  together  in  one  of  the  porches,  they  had 
time  before  the  return  of  the  others  for  a  con 
fidential  chat,  such  as  Walter  dearly  loved  to 
have  with  his  mother. 

Then  came  the  call  to  sapper,  and  the  meal 
was  scarcely  over  when  the  hack  was  an 
nounced  as  at  the  door;  there  were  hasty  leave- 
takings,  his  mother's  the  last  for  Walter.  She 
strained  him  to  her  heart  with  some  whispered 
words  of  love,  while  he  embraced  her  with 
ardent  affection,  and  in  a  moment  more  he  was 
in  the  hack,  with  Mr.  Keith  by  his  side,  and 
they  were  driving  rapidly  away  toward  the 
city  to  take  the  night  train  for  New  York. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

THB  shades  of  evening  had  hegun  to  faD. 
A  cool  breeze  made  the  brightly  lighted  parlor 
more  attractive  than  the  porches,  and  there  the 
older  ones  gathered,  while  the  mothers  saw 
their  weary  little  ones  to  bed.  The  gentlemen 
had  their  newspapers,  Mrs.  Dinsmore  and  Mrs. 
Travilla  their  fancy  work,  while  the  four  young 
girls,  in  a  group  by  themselves,  chatted  and 
laughed  together,  discussing  the  sights  and 
scenes  through  which  they  had  passed  that 
day,  and  the  bits  of  history  connected  with 
them. 

The  captain  presently  threw  aside  his  paper, 
and  taking  a  vacant  seat  on  the  sofa  beside  his 
daughter  Grace,  asked  in  tender  tones,  as  he 
passed  an  arm  about  her  and  drew  her  close,  if 
she  felt  very  weary  from  the  day's  exertions. 

"Not  so  very,  papa  dear,"  she  answered,  lay 
ing  her  head  on  his  shoulder  and  smiling  up 
into  the  eyes  bent  so  lovingly  upon  her.  "I 
think  I  never  had  a  better  time.  Have  we 
been  to  all  the  places  of  interest  now?" 

"Not  quite  all,"  he  replied;    "there  are  a 

913 


864  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

few  others  to  which  we  may  take  pleasant  little 
jaunts  in  the  week  or  so  we  expect  to  tarry- 
here." 

"Vaucluse  for  one,  I  should  say,"  remarked 
Mr.  Embury,  laying  aside  his  paper  and  join 
ing  in  the  talk. 

"Where  is  that?"  asked  Mrs.  Dinsmore. 

"  Over  on  the  shore  of  the  eastern  bay,  and 
about  six  miles  out  from  Newport.  It  is  a 
noted  country  seat,  at  present  unoccupied  ex 
cept  in  small  part  by  a  caretaker  and  his  wife. 
It  has  a  very  neglected  look,  but  is  still  well 
worth  seeing,  I  have  been  told.  But  here 
comes  my  Molly  with  a  manuscript  in  her 
hand.  Something  to  read  to  us,  I  suppose.  Is 
it,  my  dear?" 

"Yes,"  she  said,  with  a  smile;  "provided 
you  all  wish  to  hear  it.  A  story  of  the  ship 
Palatine  from  Holland,  which  struck  on  Sandy 
Point  of  this  island  early  in  the  last  century. 
I  have  used  the  facts  as  far  as  they  could  be 
obtained,  and  drawn  upon  my  imagination  for 
the  rest.  If  all  would  like  to  hear  it,  I  shall 
be  glad  to  have  your  opinions  and  criticisms 
before  offering  it  for  publication." 

"  Suppose  you  put  it  to  vote,  my  dear,"  sug 
gested  her  husband.  "We  are  all  here  now 
except  the  little  folks,  who  have  gone  to  their 
beds,"  he  added,  glancing  at  Isadore  and  Violet, 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  265 

who  had  come  into  the  room  just  in  time  to 
hear  Molly's  last  sentence. 

a  I  shall  be  glad  to  heard  it,  Molly.  I  always 
have  enjoyed  such  of  Jyour  productions  as  have 
come  under  my  notice,*5  said  Violet,  in  a  lively 
tone,  as  she  took  the  seat  her  husband  had  has 
tened  to  offer. 

"And  I  can  echo  those  sentiments,"  added 
Isadore  lightly,  taking  possession  of  an  easy 
chair  gallantly  drawn  forward  for  her  by  her 
Uncle  Dinsmore. 

Thus  encouraged,  Mrs.  Embury  began  at 
once. 

"  Story  of  the  ship  Palatine"  she  read. 

"Some  time  in  the  early  years  of  the  last 
century,  a  ship  named  the  Palatine  left  Hol 
land  for  America,  bearing  a  large  number  of 
emigrants,  whose  destination  was  the  then 
colony  of  Pennsylvania,  where  they  intended 
to  buy  land  and  settle;  and  for  that  reason 
they  were  carrying  with  them  all  their  earthly 
possessions— clothing,  furniture,  and  money; 
of  which  some  had  a  good  deal,  others  only 
a  little. 

"Among  the  wealthier  ones  was  Herr 
Adolphus  Follen,  with  his  wife  Margaret,  his 
daughters  Eatrina  and  Gretchen,  and  his  son 
Earl.  Also  they  had  with  them  an  elderly 
woman,  Lisa  Euntz,  who  had  lived  with  the 


266  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

Follens  ever  since  their  marriage,  and  acted  as 
nurse  to  each  of  their  children  in  turn.  She 
had  no  near  kin,  and  being  much  attached  to 
the  family  in  which  she  had  made  her  home  for 
so  many  years,  had  decided  to  accompany  them 
to  the  new  world  in  spite  of  her  fears  of 
Indians  and  wild  animals. 

"As  the  good  ship  Palatine  sailed  slowly 
out  of  port,  all  these,  with  many  of  their  fellow- 
passengers,  stood  upon  her  deck  gazing  sadly, 
and  not  a  few  with  flowing  tears,  upon  the 
fast-receding  shores  of  their  native  land.  Ah, 
how  much  bitterer  would  have  been  their  grief, 
could  they  have  foreseen  the  sufferings  that 
fateful  voyage  held  in  store  for  them !  Though 
they  little  suspected  it  at  the  time,  they  had 
fallen  into  the  hands  of  men  so  full  of  the  love  of 
money,  so  ready  to  do  the  most  dastardly  deeds 
in  order  to  secure  it,  that  they  were  no  better 
than  the  worst  of  cut-throats  and  murderers. 

"The  emigrants  had  net  brought  a  store  of 
provisions  for  the  voyage,  because,  according 
to  the  agreement,  these  were  to  be  purchased  of 
the  captain  and  his  officers.  But  scarcely  had 
they  cleared  the  coast  and  stood  well  out  to 
sea  when  they  were  struck  with  astonishment 
and  dismay  at  the  enormous  sums  asked  for  the 
merest  necessaries  of  life :  20  guilders  for  a  cup 
of  water,  50  rix  dollars  for  a  ship's  biscuit." 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  267 

"Astounding  rascality !"  exclaimed  Mr.  Em 
bury,  as  bis  wife  paused  for  an  instant  in  her 
reading. 

"  Why,  how  much  are  those  coins  worth  in 
our  money?"  she  asked.  "  I  really  do  not  know 
exactly." 

"  A  guilder,"  he  replied,  "  equals  40  cents  of 
our  money ;  so  that  20  guilders  would  be  $8. 
Think  of  that  as  the  price  of  a  cup  of  water! 
probably  not  the  coolest  or  cleanest  either. 
Then  the  50  rix  dollars  for  a  ship  biscuit  would 
equal  $18.25.  Think  of  such  a  conspiracy  as 
that  on  the  part  of  a  ship's  officers  to  rob 
defenceless  passengers!" 

"  Why,  it  was  just  dreadful!"  she  exclaimed. 
"Those  officers  were  no  better  than  pirates." 

"  Not  a  whit !  In  fact,  they  were  pirates. 
But  go  on,  my  dear;  let  us  have  the  rest  of 
your  story." 

Mrs.  Embury  resumed  her  reading. 

"'What  shall  we,  what  can  we  do,'  asked 
Frau  Follen  of  her  husband.  *I  fear  there  will 
be  no  money  left  for  buying  land  when  we 
reach  America.' 

"'Alas!  I  fear  not,  indeed!'  he  returned; 
'and  should  anything  happen  to  delay  the 
vessel  we  may  be  reduced  to  great  extremity 
even  before  reaching  the  shores  of  America. 
Ah,  would  we  had  been  satisfied  to  remain  in 


268  ELSIE'S  JOURNBT 

the  fatherland!'  he  groaned  in  anguish  of 
spirit. 

a  *Ah,  father,'  said  Gretchen,  the  eldest 
daughter,  'let  not  your  heart  fail  you  yet. 
Help  may  yet  come  from  some  unexpected 
quarter,  and  if  not — if  we  die  for  lack  of  food — 
we  may  hope  to  awake  from  the  sleep  of  death 
in  the  better  land,  to  suffer  and  die  no  more. 
Let  us  trust  in  God  and  not  be  afraid.' 

"  'You  are  right,  my  daughter,'  he  returned 
with  emotion.  'But  oh,  God  grant  I  may  not 
be  called  to  see  my  wife  and  children  suffer 
and  die  for  lack  of  food !' 

"A  young  man  standing  near,  one  with  whom 
they  were  slightly  acquainted «  here  joined  in 
the  conversation. 

u  'It  is  dreadful,  dreadful  1*  he  exclaimed,  but 
speaking  in  a  subdued  tone  for  fear  of  being 
overheard  by  their  inhuman  oppressors,  'the 
way  these  mercenary  wretches  are  robbing  the 
helpless  poor  whom  they  have  entrapped  into 
their  net.  Every  fellow  of  them  deserves  the 
headsman's  axe,  and  I  hope  will  reach  it  at  last. 
Think  of  the  exorbitant  sums  they  are  asking 
for  the  barest  necessaries  of  life!  Nor  do  I 
believe  they  will  ever  carry  us  to  our  destina 
tion,  lest  complaint  be  made  of  them  and  they  be 
brought  to  condign  punishment  by  the  authori 
ties  of  the  land.' 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  269 

"  'But,  what  then  do  you  think  they  will  do, 
Heir  Ernesti?'  asked  Frau  Follen,  gasping 
with  fear  and  horror,  as  she  spoke. 

"  *I  cannot  tell,1  he  answered.  'Mayhap 
land  us  on  some  desert  island,  and  leave  us 
there  to  struggle  as  we  can  for  life.  But, 
thank  God,  they  cannot  take  us  to  any  spot 
where  He  does  not  rule  and  reign,  or  where 
His  ear  will  be  deaf  to  the  cries  of  His  perish- 
ing  ones.  So,  my  friends,  let  us  not  give  up 
to  utter  despair.  "  The  Lord  is  my  light  and 
my  salvation;  whom  shall  I  fear?  The  Lord  ia 
the  strength  of  my  life ;  of  whom  shall  I  he 
afraid?"  ' 

"  'Yes,  yes;  what  consolation  in  knowing 
that!'  cried  Gretchen,  tears  of  mingled  joy 
and  sorrow  streaming  down  her  face.  'Father, 
mother,  sister,  and  brother,  we  are  all  His  and 
He  will  care  for  us  in  His  own  time  and  way.' 

"  But  who  shall  describe  the  scenes  that  fol 
lowed  through  weeks  of  deepest  distress  and 
agony,  as  fathers  and  mothers,  husbands  and 
wives,  brothers  and  sisters  saw  their  dear  ones 
perishing  with  famine,  while  they  themselves 
were  goaded  almost  to  madness  by  the  pangs  of 
hunger  added  to  their  bitter  grief? 

"But  they  were  entirely  in  the  power  of 
their  inhuman  torturers,  who  never  relaxed  in 
their  demands  until  they  had  wrenched  from 


870  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

their  wretched  victims  every  stiver  in  their 
possession. 

"That  accomplished,  and  no  food  remaining 
— unless  a  very,  very  scanty  store — they, 
officers  and  sailors,  deserted  the  vessel,  going 
off  in  the  boats,  leaving  their  helpless  victims 
to  their  fate,  for  not  one  of  them  had  either 
the  needed  knowledge  or  strength  for  the  man 
agement  of  the  ship;  and  so  she  drifted  aim 
lessly  hither  and  thither  at  the  mercy  of  the 
winds  and  waves,  carrying  her  fearful  cargo  of 
dead  and  dying  whither  they  knew  not. 

"To  the  survivors  that  voyage  seemed  like 
one  long,  dreadful  dream,  full  of  horrors  and 
keenest  anguish  of  body  and  mind.  Of  the 
many  emigrants  who,  filled  with  the  hope  of 
reaching  a  land  of  freedom  and  plenty,  had 
crowded  the  vessel  at  the  beginning  of  the 
voyage,  but  seventeen  feeble,  emaciated,  almost 
dying  creatures  were  left  when,  one  cold  winter 
morning,  about  Christmas  time,  the  now  dis 
masted  hulk  of  the  good  ship  Palatine  drifted 
into  Narragansett  Bay  and  struck  on  Sandy 
Point,  Rhode  Island. 

"It  was  Sunday  morning,  but  the  good  people 
of  the  island  seeing  the  wreck,  and  knowing 
there  might  be  in  her  some  living  soul  in  dis 
tress,  hastened  on  board,  where  they  found  the 
poor,  perishing  creatures,  and  at  once  carried 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  271 

them  all  ashore  save  one  woman — Lisa  Kuntz, 
the  nurse  of  the  Follens,  who  obstinately 
refused  to  leave  the  vessel.  She  was  seated 
upon  the  deck  with  her  belongings  about  her, 
and  there  she  was  determined  to  stay.  But 
she  was  not  safe  there,  as  the  islanders  well 
knew;  for  the  dismasted  hulk  could  not  be 
secured  against  drifting  away,  and  as  the  tide 
arose  around  it  they,  as  a  last  resort,  set  it  on 
fire,  thinking  the  lone  woman  would  certainly 
be  frightened,  and  prefer  coming  ashore  to 
remaining  upon  the  burning  ship.  But  she 
would  not,  and  as  the  tide  rose  the  blazing 
hulk  drifted  away,  carrying  her  with  it." 

"Oh,  how  dreadful!"  sighed  several  of 
Molly's  hearers. 

"Wasn't  it?"  she  responded.  "I  suppose 
the  sufferings  of  the  'poor  creature  must  have 
made  her  insane." 

"  But  the  sixteen  who  were  brought  ashore, 
did  they  live?"  asked  Lucilla;  and  in  reply 
Mrs.  Embury  resumed  her  reading. 

"The  sixteen  who  had  been  carried  ashore 
were  treated  with  the  greatest  kindness  by  the 
islanders,  all  their  wants  carefully  attended  to; 
but  for  nearly  all  of  them  help  had  come  too 
late,  and  all  but  three  soon  died.  Of  the  Follen 
family  Gretchen  alone  remained,  a  lonely, 
almost  heart-broken  creature,  having  seen 


372  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

father,  mother,  brother,  and  sister  laid  in  the 
grave  soon  after  landing  upon  the  island.  But 
Ilerr  Hubert  Ernesti  remained.  He  had  been 
beside  her  all  these  dreadful  weeks  and  months, 
had  sympathized  in  all  her  griefs,  all  her  suffer* 
ings  of  mind  and  body,  and  each  had  learned 
to  look  upon  the  other  as  the  nearest  and  dear 
est  of  all  earthly  beings;  so  that  when,  beside 
the  newly  filled  grave  that  held  the  last  of  her 
family,  he  asked  her  to  give  herself  to  him 
that  they  might  meet  all  coming  trials  and 
share  all  joys  together,  she  did  not  say  him 
nay,  or  withdraw  the  hand  he  had  taken  in  his 
and  held  in  a  clasp  so  loving  and  tender. 

"  It  was  from  them  the  islanders  learned  the 
sad  story  of  the  terrible  scenes  and  sufferings 
on  board  the  Palatine;  an  experience  poor 
Gretchen  could  never  recall  without  tears. 

"Hubert  and  she  remained  upon  that  hos 
pitable  island  for  some  years,  then  left  it  for 
their  original  destination,  where,  we  will  hope, 
they  lived  out  the  remainder  of  their  lives  in 
peace  and  happiness." 

"  And  that  is  the  end  of  your  sad  little  story, 
is  it?"  asked  Rosie,  as  her  cousin  paused  in 
the  reading. 

"Of  the  story  of  those  two,"  said  Molly; 
"but  I  have  something  more  to  read,  if  no  one 
is  tired  of  listening." 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  273 

No  one  seemed  to  be,  and  she  resumed: 
"Ever  since  the  burning  Palatine  drifted 
away  that  night  a  strange  light  has  been  seen 
at  intervals  along  this  coast  whence  she  departed 
on  that  last  voyage.  Many  have  seen  it,  and 
the  superstitious  and  ignorant  have  looked 
upon  it  as  the  phantom  of  the  burning  ship 
Palatine,  ever  drifting  upon  the  open  sea, 
always  burning  but  never  consumed ;  seen  only 
at  long  intervals,  as  she  drifts  off  the  western 
coast. 

"A  well-known  physician  of  Block  Island, 
having  had  two  opportunities  of  seeing  it,  says, 
'  This  curious  irradiation  rises  from  the  ocean 
near  the  northern  point  of  the  island;  looks 
like  a  blaze  of  fire ;  either  touches  the  water  or 
hovers  over  it.  It  bears  no  more  resemblance 
to  the  ignis  fatuus  than  to  the  aurora  borealis. 
Sometimes  it  is  small,  resembling  the  light 
through  a  distant  window;  at  others  expand 
ing  to  the  height  of  a  ship  with  all  her  canvas 
spread;  the  streams,  somewhat  blended  to 
gether  at  the  bottom,  separate  and  distinct  at 
the  top,  the  middle  one  rising  higher  than  the 
others.  It  is  very  variable — sometimes  almost 
disappearing,  then  shining  out  anew.  It 
changes  about  every  three  minutes;  does  not 
always  return  to  the  same  place,  but  is  some* 
times  seen  shining  at  a  considerable  distance 


274  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

from  the  place  of  disappearance.  It  seems  to 
have  no  certain  line  of  direction.  The  flame, 
when  most  expanded,  waves  like  a  torch;  is 
sometimes  stationary,  at  others  progressive. 
It  is  seen  at  all  seasons  of  the  year  and,  for  the 
most  part,  in  calm  weather  which  precedes  an 
easterly  or  southerly  storm.  It  has,  however, 
been  noticed  in  a  severe  northwesterly  gale  and 
when  no  storm  followed  immediately.  Its  stay 
is  sometimes  short,  at  others  all  night,  and  it 
has  been  known  to  appear  several  nights  in 
succession.' 

u  '  This  light,'  says  another  person,  *  is  often 
seen  blazing  at  six  or  seven  miles  distance,  and 
strangers  suppose  it  to  be  a  vessel  on  fire.  The 
blaze  emits  luminous  rays.  A  gentleman  whose 
house  is  situated  near  the  sea  tells  me  that  he 
has  known  it  to  illuminate  considerably  the 
walls  of  his  room  through  the  window;  but 
that  happens  only  when  the  light  is  within  a 
half  mile  of  the  shore.'  " 

"But  where  did  you  learn  all  this,  Molly?" 
asked  her  husband,  as  she  paused  to  turn  a  leaf 
in  her  manuscript. 

"From  Mr.  Baylor's  '  History  of  Newport 
County,'  lent  me  by  my  kind  friend,  Mrs. 
Barker,  of  the  old  revolutionary  house,"  Mrs. 
Embury  answered,  then  continued  her  reading. 


ON  INLAND  WATERS.  275 

"Says  Mr.  Joseph  P.  Hazard  of  Narragansett 
Pier:  'I  first  saw  it  three  miles  off  the  coast. 
I  suspected  nothing  but  ordinary  sails  until  I 
noticed  the  light,  upon  reappearing,  was  appar 
ently  stationary  for  a  few  moments,  when  it 
suddenly  started  toward  the  coast,  and,  imme 
diately  expanding,  became  much  less  bright, 
assuming  somewhat  the  form  of  a  long,  narrow 
jib,  sometimes  two  of  them,  as  if  each  on  a 
different  mast.  I  saw  neither  spar  nor  hull, 
but  noticed  that  the  speed  was  very  great,  cer 
tainly  not  less  than  fifteen  knots,  and  they 
surged  and  pitched  as  though  madly  rushing 
upon  raging  billows.' ' 

"Superstition,  every  bit  of  it!"  remarked 
Mr.  Dinsmore,  as  Mrs.  Embury  folded  her 
manuscript  and  laid  it  aside. 

"  Why  this  any  more  than  the  ignis  fatuus  ?  " 
queried  Mr.  Embury,  in  a  tone  that  seemed  a 
mixture  of  jest  and  earnestness.  "Neither  has 
as  yet  been  altogether  satisfactorily  accounted 
for.  The  latter  having  puzzled  philosophers 
from  the  time  of  Aristotle." 

"True,"  said  Mr.  Dinsmore,  "there  are 
various  theories  advanced  in  regard  to  that. 
All  we  know  certainly  is  that  it  is  a  luminous 
appearance  frequently  seen  in  marshy  places, 
churchyards,  and  over  stagnant  pools." 


276  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

"Has  it  ever  been  seen  in  this  country, 
grandpa?"  asked  Grace. 

"I  think  not,"  he  replied,  "but  it  is  not 
unfrequent  in  the  lowlands  of  Scotland,  the 
south  and  northwest  of  England,  or  the 
northern  parts  of  Germany.  The  time  of  year 
for  its  appearance  is  from  the  middle  of  autumn 
till  the  beginning  of  November." 

u  I  think  I  have  read  that  the  people  of  the 
districts  where  it  was  frequently  seen  used  to 
be  superstitious  about  it  in  olden  times;  and 
that  they  called  it  Will-o'-the-wisp,  and  Jack- 
a-lantern." 

"Yes;  and  believed  it  to  be  due  to  the 
agency  of  evil  spirits  who  were  trying  to  lure 
travellers  to  their  destruction.  And  unfortu 
nately  it  was  sometimes  mistaken  by  unwary 
travellers  for  a  light,  and  in  trying  to  reach  it, 
thinking  it  shone  from  some  human  habitation 
where  they  might  find  shelter  and  a  night's 
lodging,  they  would  follow  it  and  so  get  into, 
and  sink  in,  the  marsh,  thus  losing  their 
lives." 

als  it  not  about  time  we  were  seeking  our 
night's  lodgings?"  asked  Mrs.  Dinsmore  pleas 
antly,  as  her  husband  concluded  his  sentence. 
"See,  the  clock  is  on  the  stroke  of  nine,  which 
is  a  late  enough  hour  for  most  of  us  now,  when 


ON  INLAND  WATERS.  277 

we  are  moving  about  so  much  during  the  day. 
Surely  it  is  for  Gracie,  whose  eyes,  I  notice, 
begin  to  droop." 

,  al  think  you  are  right,  my  dear,"  replied 
her  husband.  Then  he  requested  Mr.  Lilburo 
to  lead  their  family  worship. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

A  FEW  days  longer  our  friends  lingered  it 
their  pleasant  cottages  on  the  beautiful  island, 
loath  to  leave  it,  with  any  one  of  its  many  inter 
esting  localities  unexplored.  They  walked, 
rode,  drove,  and  sailed  about  the  bay,  visiting 
now  one  island,  and  now  another.  Captain 
Raymond's  acquaintance  with  naval  and  mili 
tary  officers,  and  his  high  reputation  among 
them  making  it  easy  for  them  to  gain  access  to 
vessels,  forts,  and  fortifications. 

Goat  Island  interested  them  as  the  place 
where  the  English  ship  Liberty  was  destroyed 
before  the  Revolution.  They  saw  the  noble 
stone  pier,  hundreds  of  feet  long,  visited  the  tor 
pedo  station,  and  the  captain  pointed  out  to  the 
others  the  curving  point  on  which,  more  than  a 
century  ago,  very  many  pirates  had  been  hanged. 

They  visited  the  city  too,  and  looked  with 
interest  upon  the  old  houses  that  had  stood 
here  in  and  before  Revolutionary  times ;  among 
them  Redwood  Library,  and  old  Trinity 
Church,  in  which  Bishop  Berkeley  had  often 
preached. 

The  young  people  were  much  interested  too, 

278 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  279 

in  the  old  stone  mill — that  singular  relic  of  the 
past  about  which  there  has  been  so  much  spec 
ulation — and,  when  visiting  the  island  ceme 
tery,  in  the  plain  obelisk  marking  the  last  rest 
ing  place  of  Commodore  Perry,  the  hero  of  the 
battle  of  Lake  Erie. 

Many  of  these  things  the  captain  and  his 
family  had  seen  on  former  visits  to  Newport, 
yet  they  enjoyed  seeing  them  again  in  com 
pany  with  those  of  the  party  to  whom  they 
were  entirely  new. 

But  holidays  must  come  to  an  end,  and  at 
length  all  felt  so  great  a  drawing  toward  their 
distant  homes  that  a  proposal  to  return  to  them 
was  made  by  Mrs.  Dinsmore,  and  hailed  with 
delight  by  all  the  others. 

The  needed  preparations  were  speedily  made, 
and  early  one  morning  they  set  sail  in  the  yacht, 
which  before  night  had  landed  all  but  the  cap 
tain's  immediate  family  and  Evelyn  Leland  in 
New  York,  where  they  took  a  train  for  Phila 
delphia. 

Mr.  Cyril  Keith  was  to  meet  his  wife  and 
family  there,  and  they,  with  the  Emburys,  were 
to  hasten  on  to  their  homes  in  Louisiana,  paus 
ing  on  the  route  for  only  a  short  visit  to  the 
neighborhood  of  the  old  home  of  Isadore  and 
If  oily,  and  the  relatives  there. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dinsmore  had  planned  a  short 


280  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

visit  to  their  relatives  in  and  near  Philadel 
phia;  and  his  daughter  Elsie,  with  her  daughter 
Rosie,  one  to  her  son  Walter  at  Princeton; 
while  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lilburn  were  to  do  likewise 
by  her  brother,  Donald  Keith  and  his  family, 
Annis  feeling  very  happy  in  the  thought  of  see 
ing  them  all,  and  showing  them  the  dear,  kindly 
old  gentleman  to  whom  she  had  given  her  heart 
and  hand. 

Having  landed  these  passengers,  the  yacht 
changed  her  course,  and  sailed  on  down  the 
Atlantic  coast.  The  little  ones  were  in  their 
berths,  the  others  all  on  deck. 

"  Now,  if  I  were  not  here,  you  would  be  just 
a  family  party,"  remarked  Evelyn,  breaking  a 
momentary  silence. 

"I  think  we  are  as  it  is,"  said  the  captain. 
"  As  you  are  a  pupil  of  mine,  will  you  not  let 
me  count  you  as  one  of  my  family?" 

"Indeed,  sir;  I  should  be  only  too  glad  to 
have  you  do  so,"  she  answered,  in  a  sprightly 
tone;  "but  I  doubt  if  Lu  would  be  willing  to 
share  her  choicest  treasure — her  father's  love— 
with  me." 

"Why,  yes,  I  should,  Eva!  because  he 
wouldn't  love  me  any  the  less  for  loving  you 
also,"  said  Lulu. 

"Oh,  then  you  may  adopt  me  just  as  soon  as 
you  like,  captain,"  laughed  Evelyn. 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  281 

"Now,  I  think  I  have  a  right  to  some  say  in 
this  matter,"  said  Violet,  in  a  light,  jesting 
tone.  "  I  object  to  becoming  mother  to  a  girl 
of  your  age  and  attainments,  but  am  perfectly 
willing  to  have  you  for  a  sister." 

"Very  well,  my  dear,) that  settles  it,"  said 
the  captain.  "You  and  I,  Eva,  will  consider 
ourselves  brother  and  sister." 

"Ah,  I  like  that,"  said  Grace;  "though  I 
am  not  sure  that  I  shall  consider  Eva  my 
aunt.  Papa,  are  we  going  directly  home 
now?" 

u  Do  you  not  see  that  we  are  hurrying  onward 
in  that  direction?"  he  asked  in  reply. 

A  sudden  thought  seemed  to  strike  Grace. 
"Oh,  is  Max  in  Annapolis  now?"  she  asked. 

"Yes,"  her  father  answered,  with  a  joyous 
smile,  "  and  I  want  to  see  my  boy  so  badly  that 
I  have  decided  to  call  there  for  a  few  hours 
before  going  home ;  unless  some  of  you  strongly 
object,"  he  added,  in  a  jesting  tone. 

"Of  course  we  do,  papa,"  laughed  Lucilla. 
"How  can  you  suppose  that  any  of  us  would  be 
willing  to  see  Max?" 

"  Very  well,  anyone  who  is  averse  to  seeing 
him  will  have  the  privilege  of  shutting  herself 
into  her  stateroom  while  he  is  on  board,  and 
indeed,  during  the  whole  visit  to  Annapolis," 
replied  the  captain. 


282  ELSIE'S  JOURNEY 

"And  I  well  know  Lu  -will  not  be  one  of 
them,"  laughed  Violet. 

They  had  a  speedy  and  pleasant  voyage,  a 
delightful  little  visit  with  Max,  after  that  a  joy 
ful  return  home,  followed  a  few  weeks  later  by 
the  coming  of  the  Dinsmores,  Travillas,  and 
Lilburns,  for  whom  some  pleasant  family 
parties  were  held,  after  which  all  settled  down 
for  the  winter's  duties  and  pleasures. 

The  captain  continued  to  act  as  tutor  to 
Evelyn  and  his  daughters,  but  Rosie  had  for- 
saken  the  schoolroom,  Walter  was  no  longer 
there,  and  for  a  time  it  seemed  a  trifle  lonely 
to  the  remaining  ones.  They  soon,  however, 
became  accustomed  to  the  state  of  affairs,  and 
so  deeply  interested  in  their  studies  that  the 
hours  devoted  to  them  passed  very  swiftly  and 
pleasantly. 

They  also  resumed  their  labors  for  the  poor 
and  ignorant  of  the  neighborhood,  making 
clothing  for  them,  and  teaching  the  women  and 
girls  to  sew  for  themselves  and  their  families, 
at  the  same  time  cultivating  their  minds  and 
hearts  to  some  extent,  by  taking  turns  in  read 
ing  aloud  to  them  simple  and  instructive  tales 
of  value  for  this  life  and  the  next. 

It  was  Grandma  Elsie  who  selected  the  read 
ing  matter  and  took  the  care  and  oversight  of 
all  the  charitable  work  of  her  young  friends— 


ON  INLAND   WATERS.  283 

directing,  encouraging,  and  urging  them  on, 
by  both  precept  and  example. 

How  dearly  they  loved  her!  It  might  be 
truly  said  of  her,  as  of  the  virtuous  woman 
described  in  the  last  chapter  of  Proverbs :  "  She 
openeth  her  month  with  wisdom;  and  in  her 
tongue  is  the  law  of  kindness." 


TBB 


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